A regeneration project to bring a 1920s cinema building back to life after it was ravaged by a fire looks set to receive the green light this week.

The Kingsway building, in Kings Heath, was gutted by the fire in 2011 and has been vacant since it closed down seven years ago when it was last used as a bingo hall.

Property & General Developments and PTA Waites Architecture have submitted plans to convert the derelict site at 69 High Street into 14 apartments, a ground floor a retail unit, additional parking and landscaping.

They want to demolish the fire-damaged structure to the rear and add a new two-storey element but retain the Grade A, locally listed façade at the front.

Birmingham City Council's planning committee is due to debate the application at its meeting on December 18 where it has been recommended for approval by officers.

A report prepared ahead of the meeting said: "The proposed development.....is the best, viable option for the building following considerable fire damage.

"The key principle in the National Planning Policy Framework is the presumption in favour of sustainable development and this is identified as having three stems of economic, social and environmental.

"As the proposal would provide economic and social benefits through new retail and residential floor space and provide local employment, and maintains the key frontage whilst having a minimal environmental impact, I consider the proposal to be sustainable development."

The existing building was designed as a cinema in 1925 by Horace G Bradley who was responsible for several neo-classical cinemas in Birmingham.

It closed in 1980 as a cinema and reopened as a bingo hall a few years later until 2007 since when it has been vacant.

The Kingsway is considered to be one of the few local examples of Bradley's work in the city which is mostly in its original form.

Eighty per cent of the fixtures and fittings were destroyed by the fire in September 2011 and previous applications have sought permission to install telecommunications equipment and create a restaurant, wedding and banqueting complex.