Council defends plan to pull cinema revamp funding

A council has defended its decision to pull funding for the £1.8m redevelopment of an Art Deco-style community cinema.

Reform-led Barnsley Council recently announced its plans to pause the revamp of Penistone Town Hall, home to the Penistone Paramount, as part of its budget review.

More than 4,000 people have signed a petition to save the venue, while Penistone and Stocksbridge Labour MP Marie Tidball said the decision was "indefensible".

The local authority said the move was a "responsible decision" due to its £30m budget gap.

Council leader William Brown said: "People expect the council to spend their money carefully... and focus on delivering things that make a practical difference to their lives."

The building in Shrewsbury Road dates back to 1914 and was originally built to house the Carnegie Free Library, council chamber and assembly hall.

According to the parish council, the assembly hall was converted into a cinema and had been used as such for more than 100 years.

But the building is in need of major upgrades and the original plans included expanding the venue with an additional 50-seat cinema, cafe and bar.

Brown denied the council was not investing in the market town of Penistone.

He said: "This is not true.

"Nearly £2m has been invested in Penistone since 2019 and around £850,000 from the redevelopment project has been spent on upgrading Penistone Town Hall, making the building operational for the future."

The council also confirmed the cinema, run by Penistone Town Council, would not be closing and would undergo works to keep it operational as it stands.

It previously said the work would be funded through the overarching £35m Funding for Principal Towns projects and some of the money was used in 2024 to repair the roof of the old town hall.

Brown said: "We're not turning our backs on Penistone.

"I've asked officers to develop a new major investment programme for our towns and villages so people can see real improvements over the next four years and Penistone will have an important role to play in that."

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