ANY prospect of a new St Albans city-centre cinema in the near future has receded after the contract between the district council and Henry Davidson Development was ended. The council said today (Monday) that the contract between the two parties in the ci

ANY prospect of a new St Albans city-centre cinema in the near future has receded after the contract between the district council and Henry Davidson Development was ended.

The council said today (Monday) that the contract between the two parties in the cinema project had been terminated by mutual agreement following the near-expiry of time limits for a new planning application to be approved for the site on the Civic Centre car park in Bricket Road.

The company, which had submitted two unsuccessful previous applications for a major cinema/housing and restaurant scheme on the site, have said they see no likelihood of being able to produce a viable scheme in the current economic climate.

Both parties acknowledge that Henry Davidson had made considerable efforts to procure such a scheme but it had not proved possible without a scale and mass that was unacceptable in the city.

Cllr Chris Brazier, the council's portfolio holder for planning, said: "Henry Davidson have found it impossible in this economic climate to make the cinema project viable and deliver a first-class building for St Albans.

"This is obviously very disappointing for all concerned but we have other plans for delivering a cinema for St Albans district and I will bring those plans forward."

Andy Radford, director of Henry Davidson, said: "This is clearly a disappointing outcome for all concerned but in the current economic climate there is no alternative."

Providing a cinema for the city has been paramount to local people in numerous surveys including the new City Vision consultations in recent months.