A cinema on Romney Marsh is now "very likely" to become reality after money has been granted to help get the project underway.

It was revealed last September plans for a new 60-seat cinema would be located at The Marsh Academy, if given the go-ahead.

The school is now getting £80,000 from The Garfield Weston Foundation which will go directly towards the project, called 'CineMarsh'.

Principal Shaun Simmons, while unable to reveal all, said: “We are now going through the process of finalising everything, such as double checking costs from our original quote.

“But we believe we now have pretty much all of the money from various grant-giving organisations so that it is looking very likely that this will go ahead.

“The intention would be to be finished in September 2019.”

Approved funding is expected to give the project enough cash to start developing a planning application which includes converting changing rooms in the Marsh Academy Leisure Centre into the new screen at the Station Road site.

The principal said previously a place to watch films had been on the radar for several years: “We genuinely think we can run a proper cinema.

“Even a relatively small cinema like the Kino in Rye would suit the population for this area.”

He hoped they would not need to apply for change of use, because the leisure centre already comes under the same planning category.

It was originally hoped the project would get underway this summer.

The cinema would be on the right-hand side as you enter the centre and a small changing room lost in the development would be moved to another part of the centre.

The latest money has come from a family-founded charitable foundation, which supports causes across the UK.

The Weston Anniversary Fund was launched earlier this year to provide funding to charities to improve their existing facilities or provide new ones.

Foundation director Philippa Charles said: “We heard about so many amazing projects involving people who are helping their communities thrive - regardless of cuts, Brexit debates and other challenges.”