WITH the recent opening of Chester Picturehouse and Storyhouse in 2017, we have seen the return of cinema to Chester city centre.

The opening of the new six screen Picturehouse marked the final part of the first phase of the Northgate development.

Having chaired the Northgate Member’s Working Group and championed the project as a city councillor and the Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, I am proud to see it come to life.

With the theatre, cinema and library at its heart, Storyhouse continues to provide a space for inspiration, enjoyment and opportunities to learn.

The new Chester Market recently marked its first anniversary. In the last year they have welcomed over two million visitors and won best new market in Britain at the Market Industry Awards.

Now, with the completion of the new cinema, it is exciting to see a thriving Northgate development that provides a complimentary offering and transforming the city centre.

Like many other Cestrians, I have fond memories of the Chester Odeon. As a councillor, I worked closely with residents and the Odeon Action Group to prevent it from being turned into a nightclub Its development and re-imagining as our treasured Storyhouse, with cinema at its heart, has been a joy.

I am pleased to see the return of multi-screen entertainment to our city.

Cinema has always been important to me and I know how important it is for other residents and businesses in the area.

I am a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Film & Broader Screen, which brings together parliamentarians to champion this sector. Recently, we attended a screening of the new 35mm print of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s timeless classic, The Red Shoes at the British Film Institute.

Last year, the creative industries contributed over £120billion to the UK economy and employed more than 2.37m people, making them the UK’s fastest-growing sector.

Budding filmmakers and scriptwriters in Chester will be interested to learn that The Film House have launched their annual film competition celebrating creativity. This is your chance to have your work seen by industry experts and given there is so much talent in Chester, I would encourage you to get involved. For more information please visit: filmthehouse.co.uk