Wildlife Trust welcomes approval of cinema plans for Rushden Lakes

Bosses at the Wildlife Trust hope the new cinema, bowling alley and cycle hire facilities at Rushden Lakes will attract more people to its new visitor centre.The county branch of the Wildlife Trust has welcomed the news that the major retail and leisure development just off the A45 at Rushden will have a multiplex cinema as well as a bowling alley and numerous other leisure attractions.Planning permission was granted by East Northants Council’s planning management committee on the week of 18 April and the trust hopes this will attract even more people to the visitor centre they will be running at the former Skew Bridge site.The Wildlife Trust says birds which they think will thrive at the new reserve include wigeon, teal, lapwing, kingfisher and the great crested grebe.The visitor centre is due to open next Spring as part of the first phase of the scheme.Big names already lined up for the £140 million Rushden Lakes development include Marks and Spencer, House of Fraser, H&M, Primark, Jigsaw, Phase Eight and L’Occitane.Cineworld will be running the multiplex cinema.It is estimated that the combined retail, leisure and tourism offering will attract more than three million visitors every year.