Richard Hall and Bev Bamber inside Bishop Greaves Theatre. Photograph courtesy of the Lincolnshire Echo

Wind back the clock to last year and finding a place to watch top movies in Lincoln left you with just a few options.

But then came an announcement that the former cinema-turned-pub Ritz venue was to be returned to its former glory and once more open its doors as a cinema, and the collective cinema-loving population rejoiced.

Now, film buffs will be celebrating as the movie scene in the city is given another boost with an announcement that Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln is to open a state-of-the-art digital cinema.

BG plans to spend more than £75,000 to turn Bishop Greaves Theatre on the Longdales Road campus into a top-quality cinema which can also stage theatrical productions.

Work will begin in the summer and The Venue, as it will be called, will open its doors to the public in September with a new digital projection system, surround sound and fully refurbished seating.

Plans for the new cinema include a Silver Screen series, a children’s matinee series, mainstream films and an independent arthouse film programme.

“We’re very excited about these plans, which will provide an alternative venue for cinema in uphill Lincoln without losing the performing arts space on campus which is so important to us,” said Bev Bamber, Head of Conferencing and Events at BG.

“We’re always looking for ways to encourage Lincoln residents to use our facilities and there is scope for us to address the lack of a quality cinema experience in uphill Lincoln.

“We’ve been discussing this for 15 months and we’re all delighted that the plan is now coming to fruition.

“Rather than competing with the ODEON and the Ritz, The Venue will complement the existing offer and provide the public with more choice.

“Our main commercial offering will be films, but The Venue will continue to be used for drama teaching and stage productions.”

Ticket prices for cinema screenings at The Venue are expected to be around £5 with concessions for students, children and OAPs.