Walsall Council’s planning committee has approved plans for two separate multi-screen cinemas projects in the town centre pitching the developers head to head.

Kier Property got the thumbs-up to build a complex, including a nine-screen Odeon cinema, at Walsall Waterfront expected to cost £12m.

While Midlands-based Cordwell Property Group was also given the green light to build a nine-screen Vue cinema opposite the Tesco development as part of the proposed £12m Littleton Centre scheme.

Both plans include units for retail, restaurants, cafes and bars, which is expected to ignite fierce competition to sign up tenants.

Both developers have set themselves target dates to start construction this autumn.

Councillor Adrian Andrew, deputy leader and regeneration portfolio holder, said: “This is fantastic news for Walsall. I’ve been working for many years to secure a cinema in the Town and we now have the possibility of there being two operators.”

Walsall’s last town centre-based cinema closed in 1993 after being housed in the old Woolworths building at the top of Park Street.