FILM lovers in Abingdon will soon be able to see the latest releases inside a long-empty town centre building as an opening date is finally revealed.

The Abbey Hall has been closed since August 2015 but movie goers in the town were given reason to celebrate when the town council, which owns the building, agreed in April a rental deal until the summer of 2020 with the Regal Cinema.

Now it has been revealed that the first screenings in the revamped space will take place in the run up to Christmas, with an expected opening date of the beginning of December. With more details due in the coming weeks.

Husband and wife Ian and Sue Wiper, who own the independent cinema based in Evesham,Worcestershire, had written to the authority in January asking it to consider letting them use the Guildhall’s 1960s extension for screenings.

The cinema couple hoped to open in time for the release of the Mamma Mia sequel, which came out in July, but revealed at the time things had taken slightly longer than planned. Mrs Wiper explained: “There was no particular reason other than these things can take time to go through and we didn’t want to spoil things by trying to rush it.”

Plans went in at the end of July for the replacement of one fire escape stairs at the side of the building and reinstating the emergency exit door as well as repairs to the roof and electrics.

The changes were described as ‘low key’ with ‘light touch’ refurbishment works to the interior of the building including masonry and glazing repairs as well as redecoration.

The reopening of the building has been a long fought for campaign by residents, with a petition launched last year calling on the council to make the Abbey Hall available for public use again, signed by more than 2,000 people. In the longer term the Abbey Hall is set to form part of a new ‘community hub’ in the town. The Regal has been running screenings in the Unicorn Theatre, in the town's Abbey Buildings, since 2017 and thee will continue after the opening.