Glasgow cinema plan rejected

A £750,000 plan to turn Glasgow's historic Salon Cinema into a "multi-media entertainment and dining experience" has been rejected by council planning officials.

The project, which envisaged a themed family restaurant with 150-180 seats, was put forward by Stirling-based Littlejohn's Restaurants, whose parent company owns the cinema (News, Caterer, 19 May).

Managing director Douglas Dick claimed the project would have returned the 80-year-old building to its former glory and retained the spirit of its past by showing diners archive material based on Glasgow's cinema heritage.

Despite this, the planning application was turned down on the grounds that it would be "detrimental to the character of the building as a listed cinema and to its historical significance". Noise and disturbance to residents was also a factor.

Campaigners against the project hope to buy the Salon to preserve its future as a cinema, although Littlejohn's has six months in which to lodge an appeal with the Scottish Secretary.