THE council chief behind a multi-million pound cinema plan said the scheme was a “calculated risk worth taking” as moves to halt the development failed.

Conservative members of Blackburn with Darwen Council had called in the controversial Reel Cinema development set to be built on the site of the former Waves Water Fun Centre in Nab Lane in a last-ditch bid to get the authority’s executive board to reconsider scrapping the plan.

But a proposal to send the development back before the executive board was defeated, leaving the £10 million project free of obstacles.

Tory member for West Pennine ward, Cllr Colin Rigby, had complained he was only given Reel Cinema accounts documents to scrutinise shortly before 5pm ahead of the meeting.

And Conservative regeneration spokesman, Cllr Derek Hardman, hit out at the viability of the development, reiterating claims it could lead to the closure of the Vue cinema near Blackburn train station.

He said: “The experts say you are going to get extra people coming in to the town and I want to know where they have got all these figures from because people, including senior staff at Vue, don’t believe they are correct.

“If it is going to work then fantastic but it seems very speculative.

“What is different about this development to make it viable as well as the Vue?”

Cllr Hardman also raised fears if Vue’s admissions were badly affected by Reel opening, there would be a knock-on effect on nearby restaurants.

But his Labour counterpart, Cllr Phil Riley, dismissed those concerns.

Borough regeneration boss Cllr Riley admitted the scheme was a risk but said he felt it was on a similar level to the Premier Inn development which had proved to be a succes.

Cllr Riley said: “This is about regeneration. It’s a key site for us. We have accepted there’s a risk.

“In these circumstances we need to take risks because it is becoming harder for the council to sustain its’ income.

“We are in the world of a holistic regeneration process. We are building houses all over the borough and we want people to live, work and play in Blackburn.

“This cinema is one of the things that will help people do that.”

Now the final hurdle has been cleared, the cinema complex will be built by the council but leased to Reel for an initial 20 years.

Council bosses say rental income will cover the development costs and leave the borough owning the building and freehold.

The £6.5m scheme is for a single storey eight-screen cinema incorporating a bar and food and drink units.

It will be complimented by a further £3.5m underground car park and a public realm outdoor space, better linking the Northgate/King George’s Hall/Blackburn College area of town.

Cllr Riley said the reopening of the Lemon Tree was a signal of Reel owner KC Suri’s intentions towards Blackburn.

He said: “It’s a good indication of the Reel Cinemas owner’s commitment to the town.

“That pub had been closed for a number of years and if he hadn’t bought it and assisted with the refurbishment, it would still be closed.

“What he has said to us is that his investment in the town may not stop at that because he has a commitment to its regeneration.

“If the town dies and the only thing left is the cinema, that’s no good to him.”

Cllr Riley added: “We are engaged in a process where we have to find ways of seeing how we can make the town centre more attractive to people.

“it’s something every council in this part of the world is having to do.

“We took a calculated risk with the Premier Inn development a number of years ago and now it is virtually full all the time.

“Analysis showed cinemas are the most likely to bring in footfall in terms of potential developments for the site.

“It’s a question of size of risk and the judgment of everyone involved in this is that it is a risk that is manageable.

“The benefits could be quite substantial.”

Development of the former Waves Water Fun Centre site into the new cinema complete with undercroft parking and two leisure units likely to be a coffee shop and bar/restaurant is expected to be completed by November 2019.

The building will then be handed over to Reel to fit out the new cinema with a planned opening date of Easter 2020.