A NEW four-screen cinema, 12-lane bowling alley, pub, nightclub and restaurant planned for Chorley was set to move nearer to reality on Tuesday night.

For councillors were recommended to give the go-ahead for the exciting scheme at the former Normid store on Pall Mall.

And the project has been welcomed by Chorley District Chamber of Trade which says it will fill a much needed gap in town centre facilities.

Hemway Ltd - part of millionaire tycoon Trevor Hemmings' empire - has submitted plans for the ambitious new redevelopment of the run down site.

If the scheme goes ahead, the cinema would be housed in a 1,700 square metre extension towards the corner of Leigh Street and Bolton Street.

The proposal is fully in line with latest government policy and borough planning chiefs are keen for it to get under way quickly.

A spokesman for Chorley's planning department said:"As it stands we are content with it because planning policy is seeking to try to encourage this kind of leisure and shopping facility within town centres rather than being dispersed to out of town sites where people are much more reliant on their car and making extra trips."

Chorley's planning committee was due to discuss the application on Tuesday night.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.