Plans revealed to turn Lichfield site into cinema

Plans are in place to develop the former Debenhams store in Lichfield into a cinema and leisure complex.

Lichfield District Council has signed an agreement with the new owners of the Three Spires Shopping Centre, Evolve Estates, to develop options for a cinema and food and beverage concessions.

The Debenhams in Three Spires Shopping Centre closed last May after the national department store was bought by an online retailer.

Since then, the Bakers Lane building has remained vacant.

Evolve Estates is a property investment company, specialising in positive regeneration through active asset management of real estate projects across the UK.

Evolve are already working with a variety of potential cinema operators to design a boutique offering for Lichfield 's residents and its three million+ annual visitors.

Opportunities to further complement the cinema use with food and beverage outlets are ongoing and possible designs released today show that visitors should expect previously hidden views of Lichfield to be uncovered soon.

Sebastian MacDonald-Hall, director of Evolve Estates said “Lichfield city centre offers an excellent opportunity for the development of a cinema facility, and we are thrilled to be working with the District Council team to investigate ways of making this a reality.

“At Evolve Estates we have extensive experience of both creating city centre venues that people love and attracting operators to take up space and ensuring continued success of the facilities.

“We believe the former Debenhams site offers an excellent location that will complement the city centre and we are already engaging with significant interest from both cinema and food and beverage operators. ”

Leader of Lichfield District Council, Councillor Doug Pullen, said: “We are excited about the prospect of working with Evolve to further the development of a cinema in the Three Spires Shopping Centre.

“It would be fantastic to have this facility in the centre of Lichfield to further enhance our leisure and entertainment offering.

“It would undoubtedly attract more people into the city centre in the daytime, evenings and weekends which is great for the future prosperity of retail and hospitality businesses.

“Both Lichfield Council and Evolve Estates are committed to making the cinema a reality and we want to do this quickly and expect to have the considerations completed in the next few months. ”

The joint venture consideration phase of the contract is due to be completed by the end of Summer with planning submitted for the approved scheme thereafter.