Having been threatened with a "devastating" closure, a popular cinema has been saved after a council stepped in.

REEL Cinema - in The Point, Borehamwood - had been threatened with closure before Hertsmere Borough Council - along with Elstree and Borehamwood Town Council - "developed a solution" on Wednesday (November 22).

Plans are now being worked up to improve the cinema, as well as seeking "an improved cinema offer for the town for the future".

Cllr Jeremy Newmark, leader of Hertsmere Borough Council, said: "With such a proud film and television heritage, it was clearly untenable that Borehamwood should be left without a cinema at the heart of our community. 

“We are so pleased to have worked successfully with the town council, REEL Cinema and the building’s lessors to strike an arrangement that will save the jobs that were under threat and keep the movies rolling whilst longer-terms plans are developed. 

"Supporting the film industry is totemic to our economic development plans for the town and the borough more widely and I am excited to see what the future will bring.”

REEL Cinema's director spoke of the company's offering in the town, and future plans in the area.

Sunil Suri commented: "We at REEL are delighted to continue our presence in Borehamwood, a journey made possible through the collaborative efforts with Hertsmere Borough Council and Elstree & Borehamwood Town Council, together with our landlords.

"This partnership has secured the future of REEL Cinema at The Point, where we’ve been since 2008, preserves jobs and aligns perfectly with our mission to be the 'Reel Heart of the Community'.

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"As we work alongside the borough and town councils to enhance our cinema offerings in the near term, our commitment goes beyond the present.

"We are dedicated to playing a significant role in the long-term developmental plans of the area, ensuring that Borehamwood has a cinema offer that truly reflects its unique television and film heritage."

Lastly, the leader of Elstree & Borehamwood Town Council, Cllr Richard Butler, added: "At a time when we need to keep our high street vibrant, and show that Borehamwood is open for business, the closure of this asset would have been devastating. "