A new cinema is set to get the greenlight in a much fought-over site in Ashington.
Planning officials have recommended that Northumberland County Council approve an application to build a 660-seat cinema and restaurant complex at Portland Park in the town.
The site had been earmarked by a previous Labour council administration for a new council headquarters, but these plans were shelved when the Conservatives took over in 2017, sparking local protests and claims the site and the town were being "ignored".
Independent cinema chain Reel Cinemas, which runs 14 other cinemas across the UK, signed a deal with development company Advance Northumberland to open a new branch in June this year.
A further section of shop and restaurant space is proposed to the south of the site, but there are fewer details about this section of the development and only outline permission is being sought at this point for this work.
Speaking when the cinema deal was agreed in June, Ken Dunbar, managing director of Advance Northumberland, said the cinema would "draw people from across the county".
He added: "And with a cinema you also attract and support a wide range of leisure offers that will really complement the highly successful leisure centre."
Ashington-based campaign group 'Ashington Whole', founded to protest against what they said was a lack of progress at the "hole" , have previously welcomed the "eventual" progress, and with the planning application set to be approved insisted "nothing would’ve happened if it wasn’t for this campaign page and everyone involved".
The work will be funded by a council loan of over £4m, as well as a £3m grant, to Advance Northumberland, while the company itself contributes £1m.
If the plan is approved at the meeting on Tuesday, developers will have three years to begin the work.
