THE decorative ceiling inside Evesham's Grade II listed cinema is collapsing, according to English Heritage, which wants a notice served on the owner to make urgent repairs.

Wychavon District Council's planning officers will also be advising councillors to turn down the latest plans for the refurbishment of the Regal at a meeting today.

The company which owns the building, Regal Cinemas, wants to build ten rooftop apartments to help fund the project, which would see three screens and a restaurant inside.

A number of objections have been sent to Wychavon District Council from Evesham residents and English Heritage whose conservation officers "strongly oppose" the plans.

They say the two-storey rooftop extension would considerably alter the scale and appearance of the listed building and will have an adverse domineering presence within the Port Street area. They also criticised the introduction of supporting columns through the auditorium, which they say will have a serious adverse affect on the historic decorative interior.

Neighbouring residents' objections include loss of privacy, lack of parking for the flats and being overshadowed.

Past employees who lavished decades of care on the cinema say they cannot bear to see it crumbling.

Former manager for more than 40 years Irene Mackenzie said: "It upsets me terribly to see the cinema in such a state. It is two years since the Regal closed its door - isn't it time something was done? Once again the summer holidays are fast approaching yet still parents have no cinema to take their children to. The Regal was a focal point in Port Street and is still standing tall waiting to be opened again. The feedback I get from the people of Evesham is that they want their cinema back"

Brian Houghton, who was a projectionist at the cinema for about 50 years, said: "I am really sorry to see The Regal still empty and I would like to see it open again, but I don't know whether it would be viable." He also added that he opposed plans for rooftop flats. Regal Cinemas were not available as the Journal went to press.

Evesham town councillors on Monday also opposed an amendment to the plan, put to them on Monday. The change reduced the number of flats from 10 to nine and lowered the roof height.