Having been without a cinema for more than five years, Sittingbourne could soon be home to two.

It follows the planned reopening of the big screen venue at the corner of the High Street, which is due to start showing films again in December.

New Century Cinema has promised “blockbuster movies at affordable prices” with state of the art digital projectors as well as new, bigger screens.

The building has continued to host bingo nights since it was scrapped as a cinema in 2009.

With proposals being drawn-up for a five-screen multiplex cinema as part of Sittingbourne’s much-trumpeted regeneration, the town’s film goers will soon be spoilt for choice.

Ashley Whyatt, who will run the reopened cinema, said: “It’ll have two screens to start with and then we’ll see how it goes.

“We’ll be showing all the popular films and on Wednesdays and Thursdays, something for the more discerning film goer.

“As far as ticket prices are concerned, we won’t be talking about £80 for a family of four, we want to make it affordable, including sweet prices. The overall cost will be about half of what you would expect to pay for a multiplex cinema.”

Mr Whyatt, who runs a smaller independent cinema in Burnham-on-Crouch in Essex, started the Sittingbourne venture after noticing the building was up for rent.

He revealed that the premises will be redecorated soon. He said: “We like a lot of leg room in our cinemas, so we’ll look to make improvements as we go along.”

The building started showing films in January, 1937, when it opened as the Odeon.

It was converted into a bingo hall in the late 1960s, with cinema returning in 1971.

Its use as a picture house ended in 2009 and plans were later rejected to turn it into a £1.5 million nightclub.