The first major step in the promised regeneration of Chester’s city centre has been given the green light.

Councillors unanimously approved plans for a £37.05m cultural centre, featuring a new theatre, library, 100-seat cinema, cafe and offices, based around the city’s former Art Deco Odeon cinema, in Northgate Street.

Visiting councillors and members of the strategic planning committee queued up to praise a scheme that has attracted unprecedented support from the community and will form the heart of the proposed £300m Northgate redevelopment.

Empty for the past seven years, the Grade II listed Odeon was chosen from three short-listed sites after massive consultation exercises with the public and cultural organisations throughout West Cheshire.

Expected to open in autumn 2016, the project will generate over £16m annually in gross expenditure and create a total of 1,500 jobs throughout the contract period.

Tory council leader Mike Jones said: “With the work that the council has done and the work across all parties, there is a high level of acceptance of this project, both the need for the project and the design, in Chester and across the borough.

“It is a critical and strategic project for the council, to support the huge improvement in Chester and the borough in terms of its arts-cultural strategy, along with other projects such as the Lion Salt Works in Northwich and investment in events and parades.

“It’s about making the the borough and the city a great place to live, work and attracting visitors to make a strong, family-oriented evening economy.”

Labour leader Cllr Samantha Dixon said: “This is a very important step towards the revitalisation of Chester city centre.”