Members of Swale council's planning committee will tonight get the chance to approve the first phase of Sittingbourne's long-awaited £100 million regeneration plans.

If approved, the local authority's development partner, the Spirit of Sittingbourne, is set to start work next month.

The first phase will see the building of a seven screen cinema, seven restaurants, four retail units, 215 residential apartments, a new public square plus a 308 space multi-storey car park.

A second phase to develop a new council HQ will be decided at a later date.

Swale says the economic benefit of the regeneration over the next decade would be nearly £326 million.

The local authority will receive £3.75 million in council tax payments and new homes bonus over the same period of time.

The cinema and restaurants will attract 400,000 visitors every year creating a day and night time economy and £1.3 million of additional leisure expenditure.

In addition 790 jobs will be created within phase one, 230 of which will be generated by the cinema, retail and restaurants.

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