A scheme for a community cinema at the Astor has taken a sidewards step.

A vote was passed at Deal Town Council to pass a request for £3,500 for the scheme to its special projects sub-committee.

If the project goes ahead films would be shown at the town's Astor Community Theatre every week instead of the usual once a month.

Live performances would continue as normal.

It would be the nearest to a cinema in the town since the last dedicated one, Flicks, closed in 2007.

Cllr Trevor Bond said: "Deal has been screaming for a cinema for a long time.

"We need to move pretty quickly because people have been waiting long enough."

The owners of the Regent building last December submitted a planning application to re-use it as a cinema but cannot be known if that will be passed.

It is not clear how long it would take to reopen if permission was given, yet Astor artistic director James Tillett has said his venue's project could be up and running by late summer.

Cllr Dominic Harper told the full council meeting: "People will welcome new screen facilities whether or not the Regent happens."

The meeting, on Monday, heard that Dover District Council had asked the Deal authority to match-fund the £3,500 it has already offered.

This would be to buy a new screen, for Blu-Ray and DVD projections, and 150 chairs.

In a report for Deal council Mr Tillett said: "The Astor is ideally positioned to make this new venture a success with an enviable reputation as the social and cultural hub of the town.

"This project is about giving the people of Deal a comprehensive cinema experience with a mix of recent releases."

The new facility at Stanhope Road would be called The Astor Picture House and movies shown would be world cinema, foreign language, old classics and family and children's films.

But Mr Tillett added: "We will be unable to to show any recent releases or films that have not been released on DVD without the rather expensive bit of kit, the digital camera operator.

"This may be a consideration for another time."

Costs are estimated at £9,104 for the chosen screen and chairs, for which the district and town councils would pay £3,500 each and the Friends of the Astor the remaining £2,104.

Mr Tillett estimates the potential gross income from the venture could be £36,400 a year through ticket sales.

Prices would average £7 and with 100 customers that could make as much as £700 per film.

At present the Astor usually shows films once a month through The Last Picture Club series.

With the Picture House, movies would be shown every Monday evening and during the half term and full school holidays.

Film festivals could also be held during weekends.

Sandwich already has a small cinema in The Empire and Dover has the small Silver Screen plus the six-screen Cineworld multiplex since last March.

Town council finance officer Paul Bone was told by mayor Nick Tomaszewski last October, in a publicised document: "It is shameful that our town has been without a cinema for so many years now and the offer of funding from DDC, and the management of the project offered by Mr Tillett,cannot be ignored.

"For a cost of £3,500 Deal could have the cinema it deserves."

Deal Town Council is being consulted in the application for the Regent Cinema. It's planning committee will discuss it on Thursday, February 7 at 7.15pm.

The Astor proposal will be discussed by the special projects sub-committee which meets before the next full council meeting on February 26. Recommendations will then go before the full council.