A new complex featuring a three-screen cinema and live music venue in Hayes has moved closer to reality after receiving a £1.2 million grant from the Mayor of London's Good Growth Fund.
The Gramophone, part of The Old Vinyl Factory development on the site of the former EMI record plant, aims to become a cultural hub for the area. The plant once pressed records for The Beatles and Pink Floyd.
Alongside the cinema and live music space, the venue will host interactive exhibitions celebrating the site's history, curated with the EMI Archive Trust. Sections of the original pressing plant will be retained in the building.
Preston Benson, founder of the Really Local Group leading the project, said: 'For decades, the residents of Hayes and the wider borough of Hillingdon have been underserved with respect to cultural facilities. The Gramophone is our opportunity to provide an accessible new home for local communities.'
Deputy mayor Jules Pipe praised the project as 'a great example of a project which aims to give Londoners of all backgrounds the opportunity to be actively involved in shaping how their city develops.'
The Old Vinyl Factory development also includes new homes, restaurants, and shops, with the Elizabeth Line expected to arrive in 2020, boosting connectivity.
