AN independent entertainments firm is set to open a cinema in a city 31 years after its last picturehouse closed.

Curzon Cinemas has signed a lease to operate the North Square Cinebar, which will feature two 60-seat theatres and a restaurant and bar complex at North Street, Ripon.

Curzon also plans to offer comedy and live music events to create a draw for people from further afield.

It hopes to open the venue in July after developers complete the conversion of the former WM Abbott's furniture store, in North Street, which had been described by city councillors as “an eyesore”.

The city, which once had three cinemas, saw its last one, the Palladium, in Kirkgate, close its doors in 1982, after showing films for 66 years.

The firm, which was established in 1938, runs six cinemas in London and has developed a reputation for screening arthouse films combined with occasional mainstream releases and live events, including opera.

However, its chief executive, Philip Knatchbull, said it would concentrate on screening on “a variety of the best new film releases, alongside a vibrant restaurant, café and bar that we hope will become a regular destination for a discerning audience”.

The venue’s developer, Simon Sterne, said the deal with Curzon signalled the end of a years of appeals by residents for a cinema in the city, as the nearest alternatives are the volunteer-run Ritz Cinema in Thirsk and the Odeon in Harrogate.

He added that redeveloping the venue had been problematic, despite it receiving enthusiastic support from Ripon City Council as it continues a campaign to revitalise the central shopping area.

The conversion has recently been delayed by the collapse of the contractors’ firm refitting the building and a “painfully slow process” bringing power into the building.

Mr Sterne said: “I am absolutely delighted that we have reached a deal with Curzon who I strongly believe are the best possible company for taking our vision and ideas for the cinema and restaurant onto the next level.

“We are aware that the cinema has attracted a great deal of interest locally and I would personally like to thank all of our local volunteers who have so enthusiastically embraced our plans for the cinema and made them their own."

For information about the cinema, including updates on the opening date, visit northsquarecinebar.co.uk