Community Petition Launched to Prevent Cineworld Northampton Closure

An online petition aiming to prevent the closure of a local cinema, scheduled for next year, has garnered nearly 800 signatures within its first week. Cineworld confirmed that its venue located at Sixfields Leisure on Weedon Road in Northampton is set to discontinue operations on 19 January. The petition asserts that this closure “would take away another important staple of our town”. Cineworld has indicated that this particular location is among six across the country where property owners opted to reclaim their premises following the “completion of our restructuring plan”. Initiated on 13 December, the petition states: “To this day, the cinema and its staff continue to provide a lot of love for a lot of people.” It further emphasizes that the “primary decision makers in its upcoming closure need to hear from those who it will affect most”. In a related development, a petition to preserve the Odeon cinema in Kettering attracted over 2,000 signatures; however, the local council subsequently approved its demolition, slated for when it ceases operations in February. Cineworld previously disclosed five additional closures in July, one of which was the Bedford location. The company asserted that its restructuring efforts “protects thousands of jobs across the UK and provides us with the financial stability to continue investing in delivering extraordinary experiences for our valued customers”.