PLANS for a Royston community cinema were announced by Royston First. A delegation from the Business Improvement District company, led by Johnson Matthey s John Gourd, gave a presentation about the scheme, which is expected to cost more than �100,000 and

PLANS for a Royston community cinema were announced by Royston First.

A delegation from the Business Improvement District company, led by Johnson Matthey's John Gourd, gave a presentation about the scheme, which is expected to cost more than �100,000 and could be up and running by 2012.

The Royston cinema would be similar to Saffron Screen in Saffron Walden, and feature retractable seating so that it could be put away when not in use.

Mr Gourd said: "This is probably the biggest catch-all project Royston First is undertaking.

The Royston First representatives asked the town council whether they would be prepared to pay the cost of upgrading the town hall so that it could host the cinema.

Mayor Rod Kennedy hailed the scheme as a "fantastic concept" and the council agreed to set up a working party to look at the cost of renovating the town hall.

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- It was announced that Royston First would be paying �50,000 for extra police patrols in Royston. The patrols, in the evenings and at weekends, were designed to give extra protection to businesses and the community in general.

- A big cat was spotted near Ashwell. Fishermen Shaun Nealon and Simon Smith saw the fearsome feline, thought to be a black leopard, near Ashwell. A host of other sightings subsequently flooded into the Crow offices.

- The governments swine flu hot line caused consternation when Royston pensioner Maureen Gisby was told to drive 170 miles to Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire to collect tamiflu drugs. An NHS spokesman apologised for the error.