A prominent seaside theatre which has been earmarked for redevelopment for several years has finally been sold.

Thanet District Council announced the completion on the sale of the Granville Theatre, in Ramsgate which has been sold for £125,000.

The building has now been transferred into the ownership of Westwood One Ltd, a family-run organisation from Thanet.

The council says the new owners will refurbish the once run-down theatre "to provide a high quality production, dance and cinema space for the communities of Ramsgate and the wider district".

Westwood One Ltd will be announcing their plans for the building and how they will build on the Granville Theatre’s heritage as a community hub for culture and the performing arts.

The much-loved theatre, which has provided entertainment for more than 70 years, was put up for sale in May.

It had been shut since the beginning of the pandemic, but in March, not-for-profit group the Kent Film Foundation had hoped to breathe new life into the building.

KFF wanted to transform the theatre into an arts centre boasting a new theatre space, two cinema screens and an organic restaurant.

The venture would have included workshop space for youth film clubs in addition to a youth theatre and orchestra in partnership with Pie Factory music.

However, Thanet District Council turned down the film foundation's bid to take over the freehold of the theatre and ending its plans in a decision described as "inexplicable" by Gemma Dempsey, producer of The Festival of Sound and co-founder of Ramsgate Through the Senses.

This prompted almost 4,500 people to sign a petition demanding the Granville Theatre stays in the hands of the community.

Residents were supporting the bid by KFF and urging Thanet District Council to reconsider its decision over the plan.

The new owners will also pay the council's surveyor fees from the sale.