A CINEMA and theatre that has been running at a loss for two years amid suggestions of managerial neglect by a council will close and make five redundancies after Christmas.

Neuadd Buddug, a 120-year-old building on Bala high street which houses the cinema and has been a “wonderful and unique resource” for community events during that time, will also be put on the open market by owners Gwynedd County Council next year.

In 2016 the building was saved from permanent closure following a year-long campaign by volunteer action group Ffrindiau Neuadd Buddug (FNB) to have it reopened, after it raised £20,000 from community donations and secured a £60,000 investment from the Arts Council of Wales for a new projector and sound system.

The group also fundraised a further £7,500 for a disabled toilet and ramp for the building and £6,000 for a broken boiler without assistance from the council.

However, the cinema has run at a loss since then and fallen into disrepair under Gwynedd council, who says it does not have the resources to make the “significant investment” required to keep the building open.

The council decided to move the cinema and the technology equipment to the school hall of the new £10million Ysgol y Berwyn learning campus in early 2019.

Three part-time and two casual workers at Neuadd Buddug will be made redundant in the process.

It has been argued by FNB that Neuadd Buddug could have remained as the premises for the cinema had it been managed carefully by the council, and that the new location will make the cinema less popular.

Nansi Thirsk, chair of Ffrindiau Neuadd Buddug said the building “has been a perfect venue for a myriad of events over the years”.

The dedicated volunteer, who works full-time at a solicitor’s firm, said: “The town is going to lose a wonderful and unique resources which has served the community well for over a hundred years.

“We believe the council is missing a trick. Years of poor management and a lack of investment, interest and imagination by the council has led us to the wonderful venue being sadly but inevitably underused and becoming run down. Hence the council’s excuse for closing Neuadd Buddug.”

Ms Thirsk added that the group pointed out that the ramp and disabled toilet “should be paid for by them as this has been legislation since the 1990's but they simply shrugged and told us they had no funding available.”

FNB has had to scale down its programme for the new location to a skeleton events list of monthly National Theatre Live and film club screenings for the next six months.

Ms Thirsk said the action group has “no confidence that the new school hall will provide the same facility that Neuadd Buddug has been able to provide”.

She added: “Young people don't want to hold gigs, or go to gigs in a school environment – no matter how much they say it's an arts venue – it isn’t. There's no arts officer there who would do all the organising – and we volunteers all have our own jobs.”

Ms Thirsk also said the group has been pushed out of involvement in the cinema.

“The council indicated that they would charge us for each hire of the school venue, plus another sum for the caretaker, plus cleaner, plus, plus.

“It made the whole thing financially unviable particularly as we never intended to run it as a business but as a community amenity. It would have meant us operating on a far more professional basis than the amateurs we all are.”

The cinema screenings will have to fit in with the school’s activities and a full plan will be decided after a meeting between Gwynedd council, newly appointed school governors and Ffrindiau Neaudd Buddug on the afternoon of Wednesday, December 19.

A Gwynedd council spokesperson said: “We realise that Neuadd Buddug has been an important location for people in Bala area for many years, but we firmly believe that this new, purpose-built theatre and cinema facility will offer a modern arts provision where local people come together to socialise and enjoy various events.

“The arts space within the learning campus includes a hall for concerts and performances which can seat more than 300 people. The space will provide modern and comfortable facilities which can also be adapted to show films for up to 120 people.

“As a council, we are very grateful to Ffrindiau Neuadd Buddug for their commitment and hard-work over the past four years. With their support, we have been able to offer a range of events at Neuadd Buddug, and we hope to be able to build on this momentum as the new facility opens.

“The condition of Neuadd Buddug has deteriorated considerably. Significant investment would be required to keep it open and with less money available for local authorities from the government, this is not an option for Gwynedd council.

“Positive discussions are ongoing with the school to identify an appropriate model to deliver a cultural programme at the facility with support from the local community, the school and the council.

“When the arts facility is open to the public in early 2019, the council will no longer have a specific use for the Neuadd Buddug building and will then be looking to market the Neuadd Buddug building on the open market. If any local organisation has an interest in the new provision they’re welcome to contact us to discuss it.

“Staff were informed in July that they will no longer be employed by the council after December.

“We would like to pay tribute to them for their hard work and service over many years at Neuadd Buddug and wish them well for the future.”