Dear Editor
It
is with greart sadness to hear that the present owners of The Point,
Hammerson, have submitted a "Scoping Application" to Milton Keynes
Council to start a consultation process to possibly demolish the site to
make way for retail units, especially when The Point could be included
on a "Local List" of important City Heritage sites.
The
Cinema complex first run by AMC was the first multiplex in the Country,
and another reason to preserve a part of local and national history,
whilst I believe in progress and ensuring businesses are not put off
investing in Milton Keynes due to a lack of suitable premises or the
possibly of extending their operations, there does need to be protection
for our iconic buildings to be
preserved for future generations to appreciate and be proud of, the
Shopping Centre being a case in point (pardon the pun) which is
protected by English Hertigage and yet is still a thriving regional
centre, why cannot the same be for The Point, we seem to have a
mentality in Milton Keynes of once a building has served it's purpose it
gets demolished, instead of adapting a site and modernising it
internally for another use.
Walking past The
Point recently it looks so down at heel, even the red lighting around
the building which was seen for miles around years ago has gone, the
site has a Youth Club and a Charity shop and the cinema is still going
(which I still use on a regular basis and much prefer to Cineworld in
the Xscape) so why not simply modernise it and design the space
internally for these extra retail units Hammersons want to introduce?
I
myself have some great memories of the place
attending the opening night in 1985 and watching my first film there
called The Goonies! and going to The Point Night Club and drinking in
the various bars after work, attending various Film Premiere's walking
up the red carpet with numerous film stars in attendance such as Inner
space in aid of Children In Need in 1988, Rocky IV in 1989 in aid of the
Milton Keynes Hospital Scanner appeal and the First Royal Premiere to
be held outside of London of Presumed Innocent, attended by the then Duchess of York Sarah
Ferguson in 1990 in aid of the McIntyre Trust, which was a black tie
event.
I also remember a few years ago
attending the opening night of the "Talk of The Town" Jazz bar and
Restaurant that sadly did not last long.
It
would be great to put The Point back on the map again and make it a
great centre of entertainment, so for those of you like me remember the
halcyon days of The Point lets get together and fight to
keep this iconic building, perhaps this a campaign that the MK News
could also get behind I'm up for the challenge is anyone else?
