Marie Tidball MP and local Labour Councillors hand in 5,000+ strong petition after Council shelves £1.8m Penistone Paramount scheme

Marie Tidball MP, the Member of Parliament for Penistone and Stocksbridge, alongside Labour Penistone East Councillors, Cllr Frances Nixon and Cllr John Roberts, and Leader of the Barnsley Labour Group, Cllr James Higginbottom, have handed in a petition signed by more than 5,000 people calling on Reform-led Barnsley Council to reverse its decision to shelve the planned £1.8m redevelopment of Penistone Paramount.  

The petition was launched by Marie following the Council's announcement on 10 September that it had cancelled plans to redevelop Penistone Town Hall, home of the historic Paramount Cinema, as part of a review of its capital programme.   

The Council has said the decision was taken because it faces a £30 million budget gap and wants to ensure public money delivers the greatest possible benefit across the borough. However, Marie has challenged the Council to publish the evidence underpinning the decision, including any assessment of the benefits of completing the scheme, and details of any consultation undertaken before the planned investment was shelved.  

Plans previously published by the Council would have seen major improvements to the Paramount, including a second screen with up to 50 seats and wheelchair-accessible spaces, alongside a new café/bar, box office and concession stand. The Council had begun a formal procurement process for the work and allocated funding, with a tender notice published in February. The investment was intended to attract more visitors to Penistone and strengthen the Paramount's position as a landmark visitor destination.   

Barnsley Council has since said that around £850,000 from the redevelopment project has already been spent on Penistone Town Hall and that approximately another £1 million would be required to complete the planned expansion, including the additional 50-seat cinema, café and bar - this aspect of the scheme has now been axed by the Council.  

Marie launched her Save Penistone Paramount campaign immediately following the announcement, calling on Barnsley Council to reconsider the decision. Support grew rapidly, with the petition passing 5,000 signatures in less than two weeks.  

Penistone Paramount has entertained audiences for more than 110 years. The venue, which was built as Penistone's Assembly Hall in 1914, is owned by Barnsley Council and operated by Penistone Town Council as a 344-seat cinema and live entertainment venue.   

Marie Tidball MP said:  

"I'm incredibly grateful to every single person who has added their name to this campaign. More than 5,000 people have now sent a very clear message about just how much Penistone Paramount means to our community - a valuable asset which has entertained local people for a century.  

"I've been coming to the Paramount since I was a child. Generations of families have grown up watching films, theatre and community performances here, and it remains one of the jewels in Penistone's crown. Completing this investment is essential to securing the Paramount's long-term future.   

"This was ring-fenced funding, already allocated to Penistone - not a new ask from residents, but money the town had already been promised, with work under way to deliver it.  

" Reform-led Barnsley Council says it wants "every pound to deliver the greatest possible benefit" - but has provided no public breakdown, business case, or evidence of consultation to justify pulling funding that had already been committed to Penistone.   

" Planning permission had already been granted. A procurement notice had already been published, pricing the works at £1.8m including VAT. This was a live, funded, advanced scheme - not a wish-list Reform simply chose not to fund.  

"Handing in this petition isn't the end of the campaign. I'll continue pressing Barnsley Council to listen to the thousands of people who've spoken up, work constructively with Penistone Town Council and find a way forward for this much-loved local institution to secure the facilities it needs to entertain the people of Penistone and the surrounding area for another century to come."