A project to create a new community cinema is back on course after fears it would be delayed.

Deal Town Council deferred a decision to grant £3,500 for the project to a sub-committee, which would have taken at least another month for a full council decision.

Dover District Council had asked DTC to match-fund its own offer of £3,500 for the project but has now gone ahead and offered the entire £7,000.

DDC’s Cllr Trevor Bartlett, cabinet member for corporate policy, said: “We’re keen for the project to move forward.”

DDC says this new move replaces the previous offer and is independent of any decision by DTC.

The new cinema provision would be at Deal’s Astor Community Theatre.

Artistic director James Tillett told KentOnline: “I am incredibly grateful to Dover District Council.

"When they heard the news about this procrastination at Deal Town Council they decided to go ahead.

“Common sense has prevailed because without this money we would not be able to do the project.

“It has been deeply frustrating with Deal Town Council as I had made a presentation to them in December, I was asked to provide more information for the January meeting and was knocked back a second time. There was all this bureaucracy.”

The issue had split the town council. Members earlier agreed by eight against seven to refer the request to its special project sub-committee.

That would meet before the next full council meeting on February 26, where recommendations would be discussed.

The town vote afterwards led to arguments between councillors, over whether there should have been an instant decision.

After the story initially appeared on KentOnline, the town's mayor Cllr Nick Tomaszewski commented: “I voted against all of the procrastination on this issue.

"Deal Town Council could have ensured a fine cinema facility for our town but they messed around instead of getting on with it.

"I thank the district council for the support they have given over this project. I had my DTC vote recorded for posterity, I voted against further messing around.”

Cllr Bob Frost said: “We should simply decide if we were going to give £3,500 or not ASAP.

"I said it was starting to look as though the whole function of the council was to mess local people around.”

Cllr Dominic Harper countered in the online exchange: “The reason James was asked to return with more details was because Deal Town Council voted for it.

"It’s called democracy, sorry if that’s hard for you to accept.

“One function of the council is to spend taxpayer money wisely and we have a grants process to help make sure that happens.”

Cllr Susan Beer had proposed to put the matter to the special project sub-committee, saying: “This is just about process and we would do this for every organisation that wants money.

"We have developed a good grants system and just want a level playing field.

“It is not about whether we want a cinema.”

Dover District Council already provides an annual grant of £5,000 for the Astor.