PLANS to bring a new super market and cinema to Wokingham will take a step forward on Thursday as leases to the operators are agreed.

Both attractions will form part of a planning application for Elms Field, which is expected to be submitted next month.

Cllr Philip Mirfin, executive member for regeneration on Wokingham Borough Council said people would recognise the name of both companies being approached to run the site.

He said: “We have secured very strong interest from the two providers.

“We had two approaches for the superstore and three for the cinema and we have had the opportunity to choose.

“Because of the length of lease we have been offering we have got some very good options.”

At tomorrow’s meeting of the borough council’s executive they will be asked to approve pre-lets for both sites. The companies being offered the leases are yet to be named.

A leisure consultation earlier this year found that 50 per cent of responders want to see a cinema coming to the town.

An officer’s report submitted to the executive says pre-letting the cinema and food store will remove risk from the development and attract other retailers and restaurants to the town.

It says: “Delivery of a cinema, apart from providing an offer for all age ranges, will enhance the mix of uses in the scheme, which will include hotel, foodstore and retail units including space for local independent traders and increase footfall within the town.

“Interest has already been expressed by one restaurant chain on the back of this proposal.”

Previous plans for the town’s regeneration fell apart partly because Sainsbury’s turned down the chance of taking on a store at the same site.