'walking in is exciting; we can see how it could be open'

IN THE SECOND HALF OF OUR CHAT WITH THE COUPLE WHO HAVE AGREED TO BUY THE CINEMA, WE HEAR ABOUT THE STATE OF THE BUILDING AND PLANS FOR THE FUTURE DAN HAYGARTH Liverpool Daily Post Editor

and Regeneration Reporter 16:29, 31 May 2025 It has been more than five years since a film was shown at Woolton Picture House, but it could open its doors once more soon. The cinema first

opened in 1927 and was the place where generations of Scousers fell in love with films, but it closed its doors in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In July of that year, the

cinema's owner announced it would close for good, having suffered a loss of business due to the pandemic. It was saved from permanent closure by money raised by a GoFundMe campaign and

the government's culture recovery fund, which was designed to support arts venues during coronavirus lockdowns. Around £24,000 was raised by the crowdfunder, while the picture house was

awarded £37,809 by the Culture Recovery Fund, which was administered by the British Film Institute (BFI). The owner said it collected £25,625 of the awarded funds. ‌A long period of silence

and no movement followed before the owner shared a number of updates about the cinema's future on its Facebook page throughout 2022. Targeted dates for reopening were missed, and the

plans did not come to fruition, as the ECHO pushed for answers to no avail. There is now hope for the cinema, however. Earlier this week, the ECHO reported that a married couple had agreed

to a deal to buy the picture house. Kevin Fearon, 64, and Gillian Miller, 63, who live near Calderstones Park, have agreed to purchase the building from its current owner and intend to

reopen it as a cinema. Article continues below Contracts have been exchanged with the current owner to purchase the building for £450,000. A Community Interest Company (CIC) has been set up

to raise funds for the purchase and a further £250,000 for a refurbishment. ‌A deposit has been paid, and the deal is scheduled to be completed in May 2026. The cinema will reopen if the CIC

can raise the required funds. Kevin and Gillian work at the Royal Court theatre (though this venture is not connected with that), where they grew the business from a 150-seat comedy club

into the region’s largest full-time producing theatre. Their next task is to transform this cultural venue. Kevin explained why he and Gillian decided to take on the project. He told the

ECHO: "I have a passion for it because I went there, but I have an interest in the shared experience in buildings - and those that are closed. It's magical when they reopen.

"It's why we love what we've done at the Royal Court. It was open, and it wasn't fit for moving forward, so we raised the funds to make it a building that will be there

forever. We love doing that, and we have loved doing that. "Walking through the doors, it's quite exciting. We can see how it could be open - it is about the community. We will be

doing some public meetings (to start), and they will be down the line." Having been closed for half a decade, the cinema is not in the best of states. The carpets have come up, and

there is evidence of water damage on its walls, with some of the paint coming away. About it, Kevin said: "The building is magical when you walk through the doors. Some people might

think it's sad (in its current state) but we think it's exciting because we can see it being open again. "What's great about it - which people don't realise -

it's like a Tardis. Mason Street is a small road - the frontage is quite small, and the houses opposite are quite small. "You're not quite prepared for when you walk through

the doors into the auditorium. It seats 300, and when it was initially built, 800 people used to watch films. It went down to 280, and you're not ready for the size of it. That's

quite special." "Yes, it's been dilapidated - there's been water ingress, and a lot of the lights don't work. It's what you'd expect from a building

that's been closed for five years. "The carpets have been ripped up in places as part of a potential refurb. So there's work to be done just to get it open to have people in

there safely for even large meetings. "But that's the plan. It's about having people participating." Last October, a planning application from the then-owner to renovate

parts of the cinema in order to allow it to reopen was approved by Liverpool City Council. Submitted by Jonathan Woodward (Woolton Picture House Limited), the application intends to replace

the roof covering, introduce new facilities, and refurbish part of the building. The proposal read: "Replacement of existing roof covering with slate tiles; replace existing entrance

steps with external ramp and platform with glazed balustrade; new glazing to external canopy over the main entrance; removal of services/water tank structures on flat roof; reinstate windows

and main entrance doors and install new steps and provide new secondary entrance doors to the front elevation and construction of planting beds to the front and side (Mill Street)

elevations; installation of four cycle parking stands to front; alterations." Asked if those plans will remain part of the cinema's future, Kevin said: "They're

interesting plans. We're going to look at those plans with architects we've used at the Royal Court. "We'll come up with the right plan for us and what we want to do with

the building. They're a good starting point. It shows how they were looking to develop; they were wanting to do something and do more with it. "We want to get people using it as a

community resource during the day and to do other things besides film. We believe it would be great for the community. "We know we want to reopen it as a cinema with the community

supporting it and owning it. This is not for private gain. We're just the catalyst. "We've started it happening, and it's going to take a lot more involvement from others

to make it happen. "There's a long timeline, which is the 100th birthday - Boxing Day 2027. Everything - the full refurb - needs to be done by then, in my head." A statement

from the current owner read: "Woolton Picture House has always been more than just a building - it’s been a gathering place, a memory-maker, and a part of our community’s heart.

"As we pass it on to Kevin and Gillian, who share the same passion and commitment to preserving its legacy, we do so with great optimism for what’s ahead. We are confident in their

vision to carry the legacy forward and are excited for the cinema’s next chapter. "We also want to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported the GoFundMe campaign - your

contributions were instrumental in helping the cinema navigate the early stages of a very challenging period. Your generous GoFundMe donation will go on to form the initial contribution of

£25,000 to the cinema's new fundraising campaign as it moves forward under its new stewardship. Article continues below "Thank you all once again for being part of this journey and

for your ongoing support. We’re excited for this new chapter in the life of the Woolton Picture House, knowing it’s in safe hands for the generations to come."