Cineworld Leigh: when it will shut and what the town's MP thinks about its closure

Cineworld announced on Tuesday that it would be closing six of its cinemas around the country, including the multiplex in Leigh, as part of a restructuring programme.

It came as a real blow for film fans, who had to travel to neighbouring towns’ cinemas for years until Cineworld opened at The Loom retail park in 2011.

The firm has since announced that the Leigh cinema will only operate for a few more weeks, before closing its doors on January 19.

Leigh and Atherton MP Jo Platt has now expressed her dismay at the closure, which she heard speculation about last week.

And she reported the landlord of the building has received an offer from another company interested in the site.

Ms Platt said: “Last week, following rumours of the closure of Cineworld in Leigh, I wrote to Cineworld to request a response on the validity of the rumours.

"Unfortunately, a response wasn’t forthcoming until after the reports in the press, when it was confirmed that Cineworld in Leigh was one of six sites set to close.

“I have since been told that Cineworld had hope to continue operating the Leigh site, but that the landlord had received what they felt to be a better offer from another company.

"As of yet, I have not had any information about which company will be taking on the lease or what the future of the site will be.

"News of the closure is incredibly disappointing. I had a meeting in my diary to meet Cineworld’s regional director and venue manager at the cinema in January to discuss how we might increase the offer available to residents.

"I will do what I can to support staff at this difficult time and will continue to push for an increase in the cultural offer available to the residents of Leigh and Atherton.”

Cineworld’s announcement on Tuesday said its restructuring plan included cost-saving initiatives such as the reduction of rents to market level at several UK sites.

But it said the landlords of six cinemas around the UK chose to “reclaim their properties".

A post on the Cineworld Leigh Facebook page states: “After years of providing movie lovers with a place to feel more, we regret to inform you that, following the landlord's decision to reject our proposals, we will be closing January 19, 2025.

"Unlimited members will be contacted separately in the coming days with details about options to transfer to another Cineworld site or cancel memberships.

“Thank you to all of you movie-loving customers for choosing us over the years. We hope you continue to enjoy watching movies at our nearby cinemas of St Helens or Warrington.”

Movie fans in the town can also go to independent cinema Leigh Film Factory, at Spinners Mill, which opened in 2022.

Leigh Film Society is currently trying to raise £40,000 for a state-of-the-art digital cinema projector which would enable it to show blockbuster films.