When the Light House cinema, located in the Chubb Building in Wolverhampton, closed in November 2022, after 35 years, the Black Country was left without its only independent cinema.
In December 2024, Wolverhampton City Council confirmed plans to refurbish and reopen the building as a four-screen cinema, with a 30-year lease. The new cinema is now open.
Cultural heritage
Light House was more than a cinema—it was a hub for creative education, community engagement, and independent arts in Wolverhampton. The building’s architectural heritage and adaptive reuse make it a lasting landmark in the city’s cultural landscape.
When it closed due to funding cuts and the withdrawal of key council support, its role as a launchpad for regional filmmakers and artists, providing local opportunities seemed to have been lost.
A new beginning
The new Lockworks Cinema is the result of a strategic public-private partnership: a 30-year lease to PDJ Management, the firm behind the Lockworks brand, backed by a £2 million refurbishment funded jointly with the Council.
The deal includes fitting-out the new four-screen cinema and replaces the Light House non-profit model with a sustainable commercial operation whilst honouring local heritage and delivering modern cinema facilities.
James Jervis, Director of PDJ Management, said: “Wolverhampton will have one of the very best boutique style, luxury cinemas in the country right in the heart of the city centre at an affordable price point.”
Council Leader, Cllr Simkins said: “PDJ have delivered an exciting, affordable luxury offer in our city centre that will bring joy to thousands and thousands of movie-goers, young and old.”
The new cinema is expected to draw about 130,000 visitors annually and generate half a million pounds a year for the local economy. he scheme creates three permanent and around 20 part-time new positions
