The opening date of a town's second cinema which will form part of a £75m leisure complex has been revealed.

The six-screen Picturehouse cinema, which will sit next to a new 58-room Travelodge hotel as part of the Elwick Place development in Ashford, will open on Saturday, December 15.

Three screens will be able to show 3D films and it will be the first Picturehouse cinema to have a laser projector, with 35 members of staff running the site.

In 2012, Cineworld - which already has a cinema on the Eureka Leisure Park - snapped up the Picturehouse chain in a deal worth £47.3m.

Ashford Borough Council leader Gerry Clarkson said: “This is the first time Picturehouse has invested in Kent and I’m delighted that the borough continues to be a real draw for the very best commercial enterprises and remains an obvious choice for expanding, thriving and established businesses.

“This exciting scheme is one element of a wider £520m of investment in developments in Ashford town centre currently under construction or with construction to start soon.

"Elwick Place is leading the way in reshaping the skyline of Ashford and I warmly welcome Picturehouse to the borough.”

Bosses say every screen will have an infrared system to play audio-described tracks, offering voice commentary through headphones.

The cinema - which has been built on the former cattle market - will show ‘indie and art-house’ films as well as ‘mainstream blockbusters’, according to bosses.

Screen sizes vary from 72 seats to 229.

Earlier this year, KentOnline revealed how developers are struggling to fill space set aside for eight restaurants at the development.

On Saturday, December 8, five-year-old Henry Rowles will open the site with Cllr Clarkson at 10am - a week before the cinema opens its doors.

For more photos, see this week's Kentish Express, out today.