Hopes for films returning to the silver screen at Stourbridge cinema up for sale

The old Savoy Cinema in Stourbridge is back on the market, having only sold in February.

The building is being offered for £600,000 and it is hoped a buyer will come forward to breathe fresh life into the site.

It has been mooted that a group came forward to discuss the possibility of the building re-opening as a cinema.

The Savoy closed as a cinema in 1982 after more than 60 years as a picture-house, originally called the Scala.

The sale of the building earlier this year provided hope that it could be re-opened – only for it to be quickly put up for sale again.

Stourbridge councillor Nicolas Barlow said he supported the idea of it re-opening as a cinema rather than it becoming another 'faceless' building.

He said: "I know people are keen to see it re-invigorated as a niche cinema like they have in Birmingham.

"When you think of what has happened with the Hippodrome in Dudley, it would be nice if that could happen.

"It would be lovely but it's about getting the right people in with the right level of investment. We will have to see what the new year brings.

"It would be a shame if it was turned into something quite faceless like apartments."

The historic property, which contains a series of interlinked buildings, was sold for £350,000 by estate agents Walton and Hipkiss in February.

As well as being available to buy for £600,000, it can also be rented for £64,000 a year, which could be a more attractive offer for community groups unable to get together enough cash to buy it.

In recent years the building has attracted controversy when it was a lap-dancing club.

It has also been used for retail purposes and most recently was a health and fitness club. Its frontage has run into a poor state of repair, with the shutter permanently down.

The building's prominent town centre location is highlighted by Siddall Jones, which is advertising the property for sale, in the hope buyers will be tempted to snap it up.

Its change to a lap-dancing club called Heaven attracted criticism from local politicians, while an investigation was launched after claims it breached its licence were made in a Channel 4 documentary.