Hope for Wolverhampton's Light House Cinema as bidders make offers

There is hope an independent cinema could be saved from closing after potential bidders came forward.

The Light House in Wolverhampton ceased trading earlier this month with 15 jobs put at risk.

However Wolverhampton Council leader Ian Brookfield said there had been interest in the cinema from three possible buyers.

"They are three serious players," he said, including one from Birmingham, but they cannot be named yet.

The offers would relate to the cinema only and not to the attached café and bar areas, he added.

"The previous company is probably at this moment getting wound up so there's a little bit of time we have to wait on that.

"We have to talk to the three bidders," he said, adding they had made "initial discussions".

The Light House, which also hosts festivals and community groups, announced its plans to close after 35 years in the city on 3 November but said at the time it had hope for an "11th hour saviour".

It had leased its box office and café space from Midlands Industrial Associations, landlord of the Chubb Building, whereas the cinema space had been leased rent-free from the council for a number of years.

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