A SPOKESMAN for the owner of a historic former cinema said his latest plan to demolish the building and replace it with a block of flats will benefit the entire community.

Businessman Nam Pham has submitted a second application to knock down the old Kinema building in Wanstead High Street and construct a new mixed development on the site consisting of eight flats and a restaurant.

Mr Pham, who also own's the Nam An Vietnamese restaurant on the ground floor of the current Victorian property, had a previous application to redevelop the site turned down by Redbridge Council in November last year on the grounds that the demolition was 'unjustified' and that the new design would not preserve or enhance the surrounding conservation area.

The Wanstead Society, which fought successfully to get the previous application rejected - is set to meet on Thursday to discuss the latest demolition plan.

But Stelios Solomon, speaking on behalf of Mr Pham, said the new proposal was very different from the last one.

He said: "A lot of work has gone in to this design. It has been designed in keeping with the look of the surrounding area.

"We took into consideration what people said about the last design.

"You can see this by the use of old stock bricks and other materials.

"The development will benefit the area in terms of the accommodation and the restaurant. We want to invest in Wanstead.

"If we do not do anything with the current building it will just be derelict for another 20 or 30 years.

"We don't want to upset anyone.

"If it went ahead I think people would be very impressed with it."

The current twin-gabled building dates back to the late 19th Century. It became a 600-seat Empire cinema in October 1913, had its named changed to the Wanstead Kinema in 1930 and closed in 1956 - since when it has been used as both a bingo club and a snooker hall.

The demolition plan will now go before the council's Conservation Advisory Panel at a date to be set.