Could this old Wellington bank become an 80-seater cinema? One campaign group are hoping to take it over

Representatives of Clifton Community Arts Centre Ltd say they are preparing to apply for a five-year lease of the former HSBC bank building on Station Approach.

The group hopes to turn it into a new 80-seat cinema, while continuing with their ultimate aim to acquire the former Clifton Cinema, which closed in the 1980s.

After announcing its intentions to take up the bank in October, the group has now released a progress report to update members on how the plans are moving forward.

Fiona Hunter, one of the directors of the group said: " Just before Christmas the agents advised us that they were able to receive offers for a short-term lease on the building not exceeding five years."

The group approached estate agents Barbers in Wellington for a professional opinion on the open market rent for a building and on a tenant's repairing and insuring lease of five years.

Barbers has now prepared a report setting out its opinion and the group has now made a formal offer for a lease for the building.

Fiona added: "On that basis we have now made a formal offer to the agent for a five-year lease setting out not only the level of rent offered but also various terms and conditions that we will be seeking for the transaction to proceed. As promised at our last AGM the Board will not enter into a contract on behalf of the Clifton project unless we have members' approval and that is one of the conditions attached to the offer.

"If necessary, we will hold an Extraordinary General Meeting to obtain an approval of the contract, but it is more likely that we can combine that with our annual general meeting."

It is hoped that the AGM will take place before the end of April.

The Clifton opened as a cinema in 1937, and closed 50 years later. It was used by Dunelm until 2012, when the company moved to Forge Retail Park in Telford.

The group has been calling on members and the general public to get behind the plan.