Wellington cinema scheme gets £150,000 grant
A £150,000 grant will be invested in a scheme to bring a cinema back to Wellington.
Since the former Clifton Cinema in the town closed there has always been a community desire to provide a replacement for it.
Wellington Town Council is set to spend its allocation of £150,000 from the Telford 50 Legacy Fund to assist the Clifton Community Arts Centre (CCAC) in bringing the old HSBC bank in Station Road back into use.
The community facility, which will feature a cafe and cinema, will be known as the Wellington Orbit.
The refurbished centre will provide opportunities for people to display art works and develop arts activities.
Work is expected to start shortly with a view to opening the centre early next year.
The grant is part of a £750,000 scheme funded by the £2 million Telford 50 Legacy fund, giving £150,000 to the borough’s five town councils, including Wellington.
Councillor Cindy Mason-Morris, Mayor of Wellington, said “We are delighted to have successfully secured a grant of £150,000 from Telford 50 Legacy Fund – this will be used for perhaps the most exciting community-led project in Wellington’s recent history and will benefit generations to come – a great legacy of Telford’s 50th anniversary.
“It will provide people with the arts and cultural centre they’ve been asking for many years and is set to become a key meeting point, attracting people to spend more time and money in Wellington.
Regeneration
"It will also create new jobs and volunteering opportunities and we do hope it will become a focal point for people in the community as well as boosting local businesses.”
Councillor Lee Carter, Telford & Wrekin Council's cabinet member for finance, commercial services and economic development said: “The refurbishment or purchase of community buildings and facilities is one of the key themes people have told us they wanted the Telford 50 legacy funding to support.
“This grant will help the projects delivery which in turn also helps our wider regeneration aims for Wellington.
“We are delighted that this grant is helping this long sought-after cinema and arts centre become a reality – it’s been a decade’s long campaign by the Clifton Group and I know that they will be delighted at this news.
"It will positively impact on everyone living, working and visiting Wellington – another true lasting legacy of Telford’s 50th celebration year."
The £2 million Telford 50 Legacy Fund supports a mix of physical schemes as well as other projects that help tackle key social issues in the borough and reduce demand on council services.
Details of all legacy projects are at telford50.co.uk
