A struggling town centre cinema has been given a new name - as council bosses prepare to start running the site next week.

Picturehouse announced it was backing out of Ashford’s Elwick Place in February - six years after it first opened.

Ashford Borough Council (ABC), which owns the leisure complex, then announced it would take over the cinema in a bid to save jobs and money.

And the authority confirmed today that the Picturehouse will become The Ashford Cinema when it takes charge from Tuesday.

An email sent to current Picturehouse members today explained: “We're pleased to announce that Ashford Picturehouse will soon operate as The Ashford Cinema, with Picturehouse's final day of operations being Sunday, April 21.

“The cinema will reopen under new management on Tuesday, April 23.”

Twenty-six jobs have been saved as a result of the move - but there are fears the six-screen site is not worth the investment as it is "often very empty".

ABC, which owns the £75m Elwick Place complex, says stepping in to run the facility is "the only viable option in the short term".

The authority is forecasting a deficit of £348,850 in its 2024/25 budget – but says letting the cinema close would “be a bigger financial and economic loss”.

The council has teamed up with The Big Picture Limited - an independent leisure consultancy - to oversee the cinema.

Cllr Noel Ovenden (Ashford Independent), leader of ABC, said: “Our expectation is the location will continue to give audiences in Ashford access to a great range of films and events and continue to offer an entertainment hub in the town centre, alongside the popular range of exciting leisure operators at Elwick Place.

“When Picturehouse informed us that they would be walking away from their long-term lease in early 2024 we felt it was important to take action.

“Rather than stand-by and do nothing, we decided we should step in for the benefit of the local community, and do all we can to keep our town centre cinema and entertainment offer at Elwick Place open for business.

“I’m pleased that the current staff will remain employed at the venue, and provide the level of service users have come to expect, and I look forward to seeing The Ashford Cinema welcoming cinema lovers to the town centre.”

The cinema’s general manager, Ben Hammond, said: “We have an exciting line up of films over the next few months, including The Fall Guy, Kingdom of The Planet of the Apes, Garfield, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Fusiosa, and Star Wars Phantom Menace - back for one week only.

“Our team of friendly, professional staff remains the same, we have a kitchen serving tasty pizzas, toasties, burgers and hot dogs, and a fully stocked bar.

“If you are looking for somewhere to watch the latest new film release, to work from, catch up with friends over a coffee, or host an event, The Ashford Cinema is the place for you.”

Those with existing memberships with The Picturehouse – which is owned by Cineworld - will automatically have their accounts transferred to The Ashford Cinema.

But this means the cards can no longer be used at Picturehouse cinemas elsewhere.

Picturehouse only opened in Ashford in 2018 and was the anchor tenant on the Elwick Place complex.

It is also home to Travelodge, The Snug, Snap Fitness, Matches and Virtual Recreation, but has been hit by a number of closures.

Managing director of Picturehouse, Clare Binns, previously said it was a hard decision to leave Ashford town centre, but thanked customers for their support.

Ticket prices or listings are yet to be known, but ABC is due to release more details soon.