The sad hulk of the Plaza in Port Talbot, an imposing listed, but derelict, cinema where local boys including Richard Burton, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Michael Sheen were regular filmgoers before going on to become Hollywood stars, could come back to life as a council-owned community hub – but not a cinema.
The building sat empty and decaying for years before the local authority bought it in 2009 to secure its future.
A local landmark, it was Grade II listed in 1999 for its striking art-deco design and largely unaltered interior.
Last year, Sheen made Port Talbot Paradiso, an affectionate documentary about the cinema, for BBC Radio 4, with contributions from contemporaries including Rob Brydon and the opera singer Rebecca Evans.