The Montrose Picture House is calling on local publicans, businesses and film fans to write to owners, Belhaven Breweries, urging them to accept their idea.

Plans to turn the premises into a lounge bar were approved by Angus Council's planning committee last week.

But the film group want to see upstairs mezzanine and balcony area of the venue used as a cinema, alongside the brewery giant's plans for the bar.

Picture House Chairman, Giles Laverack said he feels this is a major opportunity for the town.

He said: "We have demonstrated throughout the last four years there is a huge demand for big screen film shows in Montrose. It would be a wasted opportunity to see a venue of this size given over purely to a pub."

The building was formerly the King's Cinema and the first floor currently has provision for around 200 patrons, with the original cinema seats still intact.

Mr Laverack said he noted from the planning application that this historic mezzanine was to be mothballed, with no use for it envisaged in the pub design.

The Montrose Picture House wrote to Belhaven earlier this year, outlining their ideas for the upstairs area.

Buildings and project manager, Angus Alston replied and said that changing the plans to incorporate the cinema would add months to the planning process and cost upwards of £200,000.

Mr Alston said in his letter: "The proposal to utilise the balcony area of the bingo hall as a cinema is certainly an interesting one and worth exploring, particularly as at present we do not foresee this area being utilized fully.

"I do however have some quite serious concerns that would need to be overcome. We could possibly make the space available for the cinema, but where would you see the development finance coming from? Would this be by the Montrose Picture House company?

"I'm sorry to not be more positive, particularly as I can understand the desire for the cinema and the possible opportunity here, however I believe it would be quite a major undertaking and therefore the financing principals would have to be established at the outset."

But the Montrose Picture House are not giving up and have mounted their campaign, urging local people, Angus Council and Belhaven to support them.

Mr Laverack said: "The town now needs to convince Belhaven it is worth spending the money. We also need Angus Council on side, as this is a landmark building with a history of cinema and its loss as a pub-only venue would be a great shame."

Last week, a local woman told the Review she was making a last-ditch attempt to stop the development going ahead.

Like the Montrose Picture House, Sheila Braes, of Riverside Road, feels that the building would be put to better use as a cinema. She is to organise a petition, which she said would be available to sign in the town by August 25.