THE owners of Brecon’s cinema fear they could be forced to close if the town’s theatre goes ahead with plans to show films.

Peter and Irene Davies, who run the 90-year-old Coliseum Cinema in Wheat Street, say it would be unfair if the publicly subsidised Theatr Brycheiniog enters into competition with it.

Theatre chief executive Martyn Green has said he doesn’t intend to compete with the commercial cinema and hopes to "compliment" the cinema’s programming.

Mr and Mrs Davies have written to the theatre’s board and trustees outlining their objections to the proposals - and questioning if proposals to make up a shortfall in the theatre’s funding by showing alternative films would prove viable. The theatre’s board was due to meet on Tuesday night.

The theatre is funded by the Arts Council of Wales and Brecon Town Council but the funding it receives from Powys council is being slashed by half over the next three years.

In their letter the theatre couple say: "There is only a small audience available in our small town and if that was eaten into any further then the Coliseum could cease to be viable."

The couple said they had struggled to invest in the installation of two new digital projectors to keep up with the latest development in the industry but suggest the theatre would seek grant funding in excess of £75,000 to fund projectors.

Mr and Mrs Davies said had they not taken a 10 year commitment to invest in digital projectors three years they would have had to close the cinema and sell the building for other uses.

In their letter the couple say: "We have to ask: Is it right that public money should be used to compete with and therefore cannibalise an existing commercial facility? Whether this was the ongoing Revenue Funding (albeit slowly diminishing) that the Theatr receives year-on-year, or the Capital Funding required to install Digital Film Projection equipment in the first place?

"Remember that the Coliseum costs the public nothing; it is entirely funded by the admissions through the front door. As a commercial operation, it is not eligible for any grant funding. The Theatr however receives revenue from many and varied other sources that we all contribute to. We believe that the Theatr has a moral, if not legal, duty to ensure that it does not abuse its privileged financial position to impact negatively on an area’s existing facilities."

The letter also outlines how the cinema had objected to similar proposals in 2001, the cinema’s 75th anniversary year, which were later dropped.

In the past 15 years Mr and Mrs Davies say audiences at their cinema have halved which they blame various reasons including films becoming available for home viewing sooner.

A multiplex cinema also opened eight years ago in Merthyr Tydfil while the couple say the opening of the small Booth’s Cinema in Hay-on-Wye has has also had a small impact on their cinema.

They say they have also tried programming alternative films but they often fail to make money.

"With 36 years experience in the cinema industry, we believe that if there was money to be made from any other different type of programmes, then we really would have discovered it by now," says the letter.

"We feel that the Theatr too would indeed discover this quite early on and would inevitably need to diversify into becoming more commercial (=larger audiences) with their film programming in order to generate income and justify the huge installation costs and significant ongoing monthly running costs of Digital Projection equipment. This would, without doubt include films that are aimed at the more mature up-market audience: a valuable market share for an independent cinema. Consequently this would then impact seriously on the viability of the Coliseum Cinema."

Theatr Brycheiniog chief executive Mr Green said it had commissioned an independent feasibility study to look at providing film and digital media at the venue and the consultant sought the view of other local and regional providers, including the Coliseum.

Mr Green said: "At this stage, we are looking at a number of options, and would reassure The Coliseum that we are not in any way looking to compete with the mainstream programme they offer. We are looking to create opportunities for underrepresented audiences in Brecon and the surrounding area. This is with a view to strengthening and developing programmes of work to engage new audiences for film and digital media. We are keen to compliment the work of the Coliseum and to work with them in any way we can.

"At this stage I cannot prejudge the findings and conclusions of the F

feasibility study, but I’m sure that this has the potential to provide new and exciting opportunities that will compliment the offer, provided for by The Coliseum."