h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Just thought I'd rant on about the IMAX cinema that's been in build in Bournemouth, Dorset, South coast of England ...... this is the biggest eyesore ever.

It used to be that you could drive down towards the seafront and look out over the bay .... now you have a hulking tall cinema in the way. Very disappointing for the locals.

Many people believe there must have been some serious backhanders going on to get the planning permission through. The only consolation to the locals is that it was due to open August 1999, but then construction was held back. Then even better ... having built the whole place they found out that the planning permission for the generator wasn't big enough by either a foot or a metre. And the council were now delaying on it. I imagine it must be open by now, but even last November/December they were still waiting

You could probably find pictures of it were you to go put Bournemouth IMAX into your favourite local search engine like google or whatever. Unfortunately the pictures do not show the true state of devastation but funnily are headed "Bournemouth IMAX - 30/10/99 (ninety-nine) - open soon".

I also found this on a bit of film & cinema news somewhere ...
"Down here in the south, the massive eyesore blocking the centre of Bournemouth's sea front, for which Irish developers Sheridan had obtained planning permission from council officials by claiming it was to be an Imax cinema, but opened early last year as disco, bars and take-away food outlets, may yet be completed. Embarressed councillors have given the developers three months to complete the giant 3D cinema or Bournemouth council will take legal action. This means that the Bournemouth Imax will have to open by August 2000. Don't hold your breath - why are planning officials always taken in by glib claims from developers about amenities, when the real intentions follow a somewhat different agenda? Let's hope the legal action includes an enforcement order to remove the premises altogether!"

Enuff from me
BBS

Long time since I ranted about that, and the whole Bournemouth IMAX project has turned into something of a white elephant. The cinema finally opened in 2002 but closed by 2005. The building still has a pub and restaurant in it.

With property prices dropping the local council have snapped the building up and are now looking at what they can do with it ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/8551123.stm