It's been nearly a decade in the making, but what seemed like the impossible has finally happened.

Crystal Palace is getting a fully operational cinema in the heart of town.

For eight years, the battle raged on as to whether the empty bingo hall at 25 Church Road would be turned into a church or a cinema.

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Then in 2017, Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC), which was the driving force behind turning the building into a church, advised Bromley Council that it had decided to sell the bingo hall.

This left the door wide open for potential buyers, and it has now been revealed that Everyman Cinemas won the bidding process.

A spokesman for Everyman said: "We are delighted to have conditionally exchanged contracts on 25 Church Road.

"We still need to get a full premises license approved but subject to that we will be working hard to get this open within twelve months.

"A very big thank you to the local residents."

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The Picture Palace Campaign team were more than delighted to announce the news via its website.

"For now, the campaign team would like to extend our wholehearted thanks to everyone who has supported us and been involved in the campaign over the past eight years," the message said.

"It has been a cast of thousands and we absolutely couldn’t have done it without you.

"We would also like to extend a very warm welcome to Everyman to Crystal Palace and look forward to many happy moments at the pictures over the years to come."

Hundreds of people have since taken to social media to share their delight at the prospect of a Crystal Palace cinema.

"Oh my god," one person wrote on facebook.

"A cinema is the only thing missing from CP in my opinion, I'll never have to leave now.

"Thanks so much for all your hard work."

For another, the news simply made their day.

"I'm so pleased to have gotten off my ass and written letters to help support your incredible work here," they wrote.

"I cannot wait to have a cinema on the Triangle, and can only imagine the positive impact it will have for all of the CP community."