By Lisa-Anne Crookes

The on-going Whitewater cinema debacle rumbled on this week, with a new planning application lodged and an bord Pleanála decision just days away.

Members of the Newbridge Concerned Residents (NCR) group watched with interest this week as news of a fresh cinema application spread through the town. The application, which if accepted, will see an extension added to the rear of the Whitewater Shopping Center to accommodate new cinema screens.

Speaking to the Kildare Post this week, Orla O’Neill of the NCR said they would not be making any comment on the merits of the new application until they met to discuss the fresh proposal.

“This application suggests that it would be directly attached to the Whitewater, we won’t be taking any position on it until we look at all of the details of it. However it does seem to be a better proposal than the Bradshaws one,” she said.

The proposal to build a cinema at the old Bradshaws site (at the end of Cutlery Road) was strongly opposed by local residents as they felt it would not be accessible enough. The Newbridge shopping center was originally expected to house the cinema in the center itself and the fact that this has not materialised has angered local action groups.

Meanwhile in another Whitewater twist is has transpired that the crèche at the center is to close. This is despite an application by the center management to extend the crèche facilities ( this application is currently with an bord Pleanála.)

NCR faxed a letter to the Bórd this week to draw attention to the closure of the crèche. The Bórd is due to give its decision today (Wednesday 30 January) on Whitewater’s appeal against the council’s decision to refuse planning permission for more retail spaces and a crèche in the space earmarked for the cinema.

 “We feel the attention of An Bórd Pleanála should be drawn to the fact the current crèche has recently closed.  We understand the closure is due to its commercial unviability.  The irony is Whitewater is in the middle of a planning appeal to be allowed extend the crèche, a crèche that no longer exists.  The same company has tried to tell us for the past two years that a cinema would not be viable. 

At least one cinema operator has said a cinema would be viable, as has an international cinema consultant,” Orla added.