Residents in Tunbridge Wells who have already waited 20 years to see the former ABC Cinema site brought back into use face yet more delay after the site was sold to a new owner.

The previous owners, Altitude Real Estate, had been working on its plans for three years having bought the site in April, 2016, and as late as this January was promising that work would begin on the scheme this summer.

But now it has been announced that luxury retirement homes specialist Elysian Residences has bought the site and wants to make changes to Altitude's scheme, which had already won planning approval.

It means they company will have to submit a new application for planning permission to Tunbridge Wells council.

The company said that a new cinema would remain central to the redevelopment, but that the number of shops would be reduced, and the 99 apartments planned by Altitude would be made larger and the number increased to 108.

The American-based company specialises in apartments for the over-65s.

Altitude had previously costed its "Belvedere" development of the Mount Pleasant Road site at £80m. It is not clear whether Elysian Residences intends to keep the medical centre which was part of the original scheme.

Elysian Residences is to hold a public exhibition of its plans at the Trinity Theatre in nearby Church Road from Thursday May 9, to Saturday, May 11.

Read more: All the latest news from Tunbridge Wells