A PLAN to create a nightclub and two restaurants on the site of a former Cheltenham cinema moved a step closer this week.

Council bosses have extended the time available for developers to transform the Odeon, in Winchcombe Street, into new premises.

The latest request in a saga dating from 2006 was granted, despite objections from residents.

In a submission to planning bosses, the owner of 48 Queens Road said: "Do we not have enough drinking holes for the young?

"I believe a St John or RedCross tent has to be erected in town now to cope with the problems excessive drink creates.

"There should be an alternative hobby or leisure activity for the teenagers in Cheltenham – for example, an ice rink or an arts centre for kids to experiment or something to encourage them culturally."

The council's decision means developers must begin work on the 1930s art deco building, which once hosted a concert by The Beatles, within five years.

Last month, the Echo revealed that no nightclub operator had been found for the site, which closed as a cinema in 2006. Agents Blue Sky Planning blamed the economy for a lack of interest in the development. Since the closure, a plan to turn the cinema into a church has been scrapped.

In 2008, the nightclub scheme, which was opposed by Gloucestershire police, was approved on appeal by the Planning Inspectorate after Cheltenham Borough Council rejected the idea.

Nearby traders have branded the former cinema an eyesore and called for action to improve the area.