A petition demanding a start date and for no changes to be made to the plans for the long-awaited Ealing Cinema has reached more than 600 signatures.

Earlier this month, developers St George PLC announced that work on the Filmworks cinema was finally set to start in December this year.

However, the company admitted a completion date hangs in the balance after it purchased the site from Land Securities in August, who had originally set a target of opening in 2018.

Now Ealing Liberal Democrats have launched a petition promising they will seek a meeting with St George to demand a start date, if they reach 1,000 signitures.

Ealing Common Councillor, Jon Ball, said he was concerned St George would prioritise the residential units within the development, delaying the cinema even further.

He is concerned the original application, proposing 1,000 seats and eight new screens, could be amended to reduce key features of the £100m proposal and wants assurances this will not happen.

Cllr Ball said: "My concern is that they (St George) will build the housing elements of it and not build the cinema until last.

"We will go to them and present to them. We are going to try to get a meeting with them.

"It is frustrating that St George have not provided a time scale.

"Ealing residents demand that a new cinema is built as soon as possible, after this sorry saga of delay after delay.

"I have concerns about St George taking over the site.

"I will be seeking assurances that St George will be going ahead immediately to implement the Filmworks development that Land Securities planned."

Ealing Council leader, Councillor Julian Bell, has previously said he has been given assurances St George will stick to the original plans.

However, when asked by getwestlondon if there would be any amendments to the original application, the developers did not comment.

But a St George spokesperson did say: "There is no update on the timing of the development.

"St George has submitted a S73 (minor material amendment) application to LB Ealing seeking to reduce the number of conditions that are required to be discharged prior to commencement of development.

"This will enable St George to commence development in December 2016."

The developers said they will announce a starting date for the development, which connects Walpole Park with Bond Street and Ealing Broadway,as soon as they are in a position to do so.

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