THE announcement of a new cinema for the town's Kingfisher Centre received a mixed response by councillors.

Last week, the Advertiser revealed a new cinema was set to open in November above Wilkinsons and TJ Hughes.

But its impending arrival has had a mixed reception, with councillors unsure of the effect it would have - especially on proposals for the out-of-town Abbey Stadium development, itself set to include a cinema.

Last week, council leader Phil Mould said he would believe it when he saw it and this week Conservative leader councillor Carole Gandy said she was aware it could pose problems.

"I do not believe this town can support two cinemas, I think it's been shown in areas like Rubery, a cinema is a far better option because it's part of a day out," she said.

Labour councillor Bill Hartnett said from the public's point of view it would be great to have a cinema in town but raised similar concerns.

He said: "You will have to ask yourself can the town sustain two multi-screen cinemas? Only the market can decide that."

But Tory councillor Juliet Brunner said she hoped the town centre cinema came to fruition to benefit young people and solve a problem in the interim.

She said she believed the two planned cinemas would be sustainable as the Abbey Stadium would have other amenities to attract people.

Liberal Democrat councillor Nigel Hicks agreed and said if everything went ahead as planned, he thought competition would be between the Abbey Stadium and Rubery Great Park, rather than with the Kingfisher Centre.

"There will be some competition but it's the sort of competition I would like to see - as far as I'm concerned, the sooner we get a cinema in Redditch the better," he said.

"I would rather have one here and now than the hope of one at some stage in the future."