BLACKBURN’S new £10m cinema complex will help the council be financially self-sufficient, a senior councillor has claimed.

Work is now well underway on the groundworks for the scheme that will see an eight screen Reel Cinema created with VIP lounge, restaurants, bars and an undercroft car park.

Blackburn with Darwen Council bosses hope the project will play a fundamental part of the regeneration of the Northgate area of the town, with Reel signing a long-term lease to operate there.

Cllr Phil Riley, executive member for regeneration, said: “The start of the works on this new cinema complex is pivotal for the future development of the Northgate leisure and cultural area of Blackburn town centre and I can’t wait to see it progress.

“In a time when the Government is expecting councils to be financially self-sufficient, schemes like these are incredibly important to ensure we can generate income and support the delivery of services for our residents.

“It’s fantastic to be working alongside Reel Cinemas and I’ve no doubt the complex will complement the area and prove to be a huge success.”

Once completed, the cinema will sit alongside two restaurants and bars, boasting their own external terraces, which will be available to let.

The new terraces will overlook a new public square which will link Blackburn College to the planned work at Blakey Moor and King Georges Hall.

Reel’s owner, Kailash Chander ‘KC’ Suri added: “It’s fantastic that the groundworks have now started and it’s exciting to see the vision for the new cinema complex starting to become a reality.

“We are working to create something really unique on this site and I couldn’t think of a more perfect location than here in Blackburn to host future Bollywood premieres.”

In the meantime, new hoardings have been erected around the site perimeter while development gets underway.

The cinema complex will include a bar, coffee shop, and a dessert bar/restaurant

There was a list of 13 options for the council to consider on the site, including student accommodation, a car park, residential home for older people, college building, retail, gym, restaurants and bars.

Development of the former Waves Water Fun Centre site into the new cinema complete with undercroft parking and two leisure units likely to be a coffee shop and bar/restaurant is expected to be completed by November 2019.

The building will then be handed over to Reel to fit out the new cinema with a planned opening date of Easter 2020.

Reel has agreed an initial 20 year-lease with Blackburn with Darwen Council.

The project has been met with opposition and in July Conservative councillor Derek Hardman submitted an unsuccessful call-in request in a last ditch bid to get the council’s ruling Labour group to scrap it.