THE identities of the cinema and hotel operators taking on the new sites at Elms field have been revealed.

Premier Inn and Everyman Cinemas will both be moving to the centre of Wokingham as part of the town's regeneration following the signing of pre-let agreements last week.

Bernie Pich, head of town centre regeneration at Wokingham Borough Council, said: "It’s been great seeing such growing interest and confidence in the town since we started to secure planning consent for the different regeneration phases.

"We’ve been talking to a variety of companies about taking on units and we think local people are going to be excited when they see the businesses signing up to come to the town."

The plans for Elms Field include the cinema and hotel along with a supermarket, 126 homes and a small park.

“Premier Inn has been involved in the scheme since the early days and has now reconfirmed their commitment to moving into the hotel at the southern end of the site," Mr Pich continued.

"Local people have continued to tell us Wokingham lacks things to do and has limited entertainment options.

"We have had repeated requests for a new cinema at each stage of our consultations and this long awaited boutique facility is a first for the local area.

“Everyman Cinemas is a perfect fit for the town.

"It will offer something for everyone, with a programme which balances blockbuster movies with more select films, alongside live screenings of theatre and opera from some of the leading performance venues in the world."

Work on Elms Field is expected to get underway in spring next year after planning approval was granted on Wednesday, April 6.

The work should be completed by 2020 and a phasing plan, identifying when each part of the scheme is expected to be completed, should be drawn up in the coming months.

Jo Moon, director of acquisitions for Premier Inn, said: "This is an important opportunity for us to invest in the town and participate in a high-quality development project.

"We’re looking forward to work starting and towards opening the doors on another fantastic Premier Inn hotel in the near future."

Everyman Cinemas currently run 16 cinemas across the UK.

Crispin Lilly, CEO of Everyman Cinemas, said: "We're delighted to announce our plans for the arrival of a new Everyman in Wokingham.

"We're excited to become a destination for the local community to indulge in a great night out.

"We look forward to opening the doors in the near future."