IPSWICH Film Theatre's future continues to hang in the balance today as a meeting to discuss what will happen to it has been postponed by a month.

IPSWICH Film Theatre's future continues to hang in the balance today as a meeting to discuss what will happen to it has been postponed by a month.

Originally Ipswich Borough Council's executive committee planned to have a meeting at the end of September to discuss what would happen to the theatre.

But the meeting has now been pushed back until October 24 and members of the Ipswich Film Theatre Support Group say it is time the council started letting customers know what is going to happen.

Dennis Miller, founder of the support group, said: “It is disappointing that the decision date keeps getting pushed back as when we started in June we were told we would receive an answer by the start of autumn.

“This is the time of year when custom picks up a bit and it would be nice to be able to let people know what the future holds.”

Ipswich Borough Council has made it clear it cannot continue to cover the losses sustained by the theatre at the level they are now.

There are several ideas as to what to do with the film theatre, ranging from keeping it where it is to changing the venue to somewhere else in the town.

Other ideas include leaving it where it is but only opening it to hire for certain groups or hiring the equipment out to groups who wish to hold film nights at other venues.

Mr Miller said: “It is good that there has not been a suggestion of it closing altogether and I just hope it won't have to close in the short term while a longer solution is sorted out. That could be very detrimental to the business.

“The former Ipswich Film Theatre Advisory Committee suggested it be moved to the Wolsey Theatre which I think would be a very exciting idea. I guess we all just have to watch this space.”

Weblink: www.ipswich.gov.uk; www.iftsupporters.org