STOURBRIDGE'S former Savoy cinema site in Lower High Street has been put up for sale at an asking prices of £350,000.

The property, which stretches into Crown Lane, contains a series of interlinked buildings.

Since closing as a cinema in 1982, the property has seen a varied variety of uses, including retail outlets, a lap dancing club and more recently a health and fitness centre.

Since coming onto the market, the proposed sale has already ignited discussions about a cinema complex returning to Stourbridge.

But there are numerous other proposals on the table for the site's future use, which could see the former cinema becoming residential, commercial or retail property.

There has even been a suggestion it could also be used as a care home.

David Hickman, secretary of Stourbridge Historical Society, said: “Whoever buys the property, I hope they keep the Lower High Street facade.

“I believe it once featured on an LP cover in the 1960's or 70's and I would be very sad to see that go.”

It was originally known as the Scala and was opened in 1920 by Elizabeth Elsom, who starred in the first film ever shown there ‘The Edge of Beyond’.

The name was changed to The Savoy in 1943, but it finally closed as a cinema in 1982.

In its heyday, Stourbridge had a number of cinemas. The Odeon closed in Stourbridge High Street in 1973 and later became department stores, firstly Stringers and then Owen Owen and is now the site for Wilkinsons, while the Kings Hall cinema ran from 1909 until 1957 but the site is now home to the Aldi supermarket.

The Danilo, situated in Hagley Road, was the last cinema in Stourbridge to close and later became a bingo parlour before its current use as a nightclub.

The former Savoy building is now on the market with Walton and Hipkiss who can be contacted on 01384 397797.