Globalls Mini Golf has been selected as the preferred bidder for a 15-year lease at the vacant Throwley Yard site on Sutton High Street, the Local Democracy Reporting Service has learned. The glow-in-the-dark mini golf operator, which currently runs venues in Brighton and Weymouth, will take over the space formerly occupied by a cinema that closed after just 14 months.
Council chooses footfall over highest bid
Despite not being the highest financial bidder, the Liberal Democrat-led Sutton Council chose Globalls from six applicants, citing its potential to increase footfall and bring "vitality" to the town's cultural and leisure scene. The decision was discussed at the council's Overview and Scrutiny Committee on June 22, where members backed the recommendation without naming the operator publicly. A source close to the council confirmed Globalls as the preferred bidder to the LDRS.
Council Leader Barry Lewis said the new operator would bring "added vitality and energy to the high street." Councillor Sunita Gordon argued the original investment in Throwley Yard aimed to "create a destination that would increase footfall, support local businesses, strengthen our evening economy and provide a more diverse leisure and culture offer for residents," not to maximize rental income.
Criticism over lack of consultation
Green Party member and local artist Doug Shaw criticized the council for failing to consult residents on the site's future after the high-profile collapse of the cinema. Speaking at the committee, he said: "I was a member of Throwley Yard. I joined reluctantly because it didn't feel like a good idea to me. Why put a cinema in when it would be competing with an existing business?" He warned against repeating past mistakes, adding: "We are about to go through all of this again and it just feels to me there has been an absence of engagement with residents of the borough about what we might like to see in that space. You have had the time to engage with us and you appear to have chosen not to."
Cllr Lewis defended the council's engagement, pointing to more than 1,000 residents consulted on Sutton town centre proposals between September 2025 and March 2026, alongside Local Plan engagement. He also highlighted refurbishments of former BHS, Topshop, and Vision Express units as "solid wins" for the area.
Failed cinema leaves debt
Throwley Yard opened in September 2024 after a £3.2 million public investment, including £1.9 million from the Government's Future High Streets Fund and £1.3 million from Sutton Council. It closed in November 2025 after 14 months. Earlier this month, the LDRS revealed former tenant Really Local Group still owes Sutton Council more than £115,000 in unpaid rent after entering liquidation.
Cllr Lewis acknowledged the original cinema concept had not met expectations: "The hope was to revitalise it as a cinema, café, bar and arts venue. That didn't come off. All these things are measured risks. At the time we knew it was a measured risk, but we have ended up with an eminently lettable venue."
Job creation and opening timeline
Globalls expects to create between 20 and 26 jobs in Sutton, including full and part-time roles. However, council officers said there was no commitment for those roles to be filled by local people, though discussions were taking place on local recruitment, apprenticeships and work placements. A timeline for the opening of the new venue is expected to be announced soon.
