PLANS to bring a cinema back to Stourbridge are gathering pace.

West Midlands Community Cinema and Art Spaces, a not-for-profit Community Interest Company led by James Anderson Brown who launched Birmingham’s Mockingbird cinema and the Lume in Kidderminster, plans to turn the former Chicago’s bar into a community cinema by the end of the year.

Stourbridge’s MP Suzanne Webb has congratulated those involved with the project which she said would boost the fortunes of the town when she met with James and colleagues - Diana Boateng, Sam Binks and Dave Shuck.

She said: “These are exciting plans for a great cinema and community hub and they have my full support.

“There is no doubt our town has missed a cinema since the 1980s.

“I look forward to its opening and to going along to watch a film.”

James plans to create a two-screen boutique cinema in the derelict former nightclub building where footballer Ryan Passey was fatally stabbed in August 2017.

The project has been given the thumb-up from Ryan’s family who have been keen to see the Ryemarket unit used for the good of the community.

James has said the venue will show new releases and classic films, as well as offering event cinema, family screenings, dementia and autism friendly screenings, parent and baby films and more.

It will also serve as a hub for community groups and creatives.

James thanked the MP for “taking the time to discuss our plans” and he added: “Having the support of the Stourbridge community is vital in making the project work in the long term.

“Our aim is to provide a space for everyone in the town, while also offering engaging and diverse art and cinema that will draw people in from the surrounding areas and further afield, whilst being respectful to the memory of Ryan Passey and the tragedy that happened at the site."