Plans revealed for Redcar's Art Deco cinema's development

Councillor Mary Lanigan said the new design acknowledged the facade of the crumbling Art Deco building

An artist's impression of a new cinema that would replace a crumbling Art Deco one has been revealed.

Regent Cinema in Redcar closed for the "foreseeable future" in 2017 due to "structural problems".

Redcar and Cleveland Council said it wanted to bulldoze it and build a £9.7m, three-screen cinema.

If the plans get council cabinet approval, the new cinema may be open in 2022.

In March last year, the council committed to creating a new cinema at the site by using funding agreed by the Tees Valley Combined Authority cabinet as part of a 10-year investment plan.

The Regent Cinema opened in 1928 as a music hall

Under the proposals, the new cinema would seat almost 200 people.

Independent council leader Councillor Mary Lanigan told a cabinet meeting the council had received advice from engineers that the existing structure needed replacing.

She said: "We will make sure the public has every chance to look at everything they want to look at and then they can feed back to us to make a decision."

She added that architects had been advised to "respect the heritage of the building" in their plans.

She said images showed how that vision has been realised with the new facade echoing the design of the existing building.

Designs and a model of the cinema are on display at the Redcar and Cleveland Leisure and Community Heart until consultation ends on 17 January.