THERE is still hope the former Carlton Cinema can be saved, despite planning permission being granted last week for the building to be demolished for redevelopment, says the town?s mayor. Cllr Tony Leech said he was still negotiating with various parties to see if the town?s 1930s cinema in St James Street could be saved. He said: ?I am still working to try and save that building. We have a meeting this week where we will discuss with the landowners a possible land swap deal involving three or possibly four sites.? Cllr Leech met developers Gray Brothers of Tavistock earlier this year and they agreed to exchange the building for suitable land of a similar value if Okehampton Town Council could broker a deal with a willing landowner. The mayor said the developers had indicated to him they were not looking to develop the site for a year, which gave some time for a workable alternative site to be found. Cllr Leech said if the art-deco building could be secured he was hopeful there were commercial outfits with cinema management experience who would be keen to bring film back to the town in a central location. However, he warned that if the building was lost, the project would no longer be commercially viable. The Carlton Cinema has been a feature in the centre of Okehampton since the 1930s and was run by the Pope family during that time, until the illness of the proprietor forced its closure at the end of 2003. West Devon Borough Council?s planning and licensing committee last week approved revised plans to demolish the former cinema and create a three-story building containing 15 flats in its place.
