AN ENTERPRISING Blackpool family is planning to turn the former ABC cinema on Church Street into an exciting new nightclub venue for the resort's clubbers.

The development control committee visited the site of the ABC building this week to see exactly what alterations were taking place inside.

Chairman of the development control committee Coun Michael Carr went on a site visit to the venue on Monday (June 10) and said: "A Blackpool-based family business has bought the building and are planning to turn it into a night club with three floors. The drawings I have seen look very nice.

"They hope to open sometime in December and I admire them for taking on a building of this size and one in such in derelict state. It had gone to wrack and ruin since closing when the new Odeon opened at Rigby Road.

"The family firm will not be knocking down the existing building but they plan to put cladding on the outside and also a big screen on the front of the building overlooking Church Street which the family has said could also be used by the council.

"The family has been extremely co-operative with both building control and development control and in my opinion they should be admired for investing in their own town and not going elsewhere. They are also using all local contractors for the work which should be applauded.

"The firm has submitted planning applications for the cladding and a sign and they will be submitting a public entertainment application later in the year. The building already has a drinking licence.

"We shall be returning for another site visit in six weeks to check on progress."

A spokesman from planning at the council said: "The situation is that the building has been given planning for some external alterations and we are expecting a planning application for further external alterations."