Part of the former EMD cinema in Walthamstow could be converted into homes to finance its re-opening as an entertainment venue, it has emerged.

Antic Pub Company purchased the building in Hoe Street earlier this year from the United Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG).

A spokesman said: “I can confirm that both the listed nature of the building and a 1,000 seater auditorium are, and will remain, key elements of our proposals.

“We have always intended that the building should once more be an entertainment venue, not just an enormous pub, and thus if it is to succeed in the decades to come, it must have a varied, wide ranging and sustainable offer, which is relevant to modern Walthamstow.

“Our current proposals include the 1,000-seater auditorium, bars/pubs, restaurants, jazz/cabaret/cinema club, boutique B&B, rooftop garden and summer performance/cinema space, cafes and some residential to assist in providing the financial wherewithal to deliver it all.

“We hope to provide a little bit of something to everyone and to do so in a significantly shorter timeframe and with greater surety than the expensive and less than certain CPO route previously proposed.”

The UCKG finally sold the venue after two failed attempts to gain permission to convert it into a place of worship following its closure 12 years ago.

Waltham Forest council threatened to force a compulsory purchase following a long-running campaign to retain the EMD as an entertainment venue.