Last night's closure of the Odeon cinema in Bradford after 70 years was the end of an era for the city.

It is not the end for the Odeon Group in Bradford - this week will see the opening of its new state-of-the-art 13-screen complex at Thornbury.

But it is not convenient for everyone to travel to out-of-town multiplex sites and a thriving city needs a central cinema if it is to offer residents and visitors a full range of entertainment.

Although there are screens at the Pictureville and Priestley Centre for the Arts, people often want the wider choice mainstream cinemas can offer.

Cine-UK's plans for a cinema as part of the development at Vicar Lane will now be eagerly awaited by many people and, for a time, the city will have something missing at its heart.

However, perhaps more important is what happens to the Odeon building. The future of the building at the junction of Thornton Road and Princes Way remains unclear.

It is a prime site that developers will, hopefully, jostle to acquire. But it needs to be developed soon, for this site cannot be allowed to become a shell that is left to the vagaries of the elements and the vandals.

The area around the Alhambra - or the West End, as it is commonly known - is an example of how Bradford can attract new investment.

The Odeon building needs to become a part of that to enable the city to continue to flourish and build upon its success.

There have been many ambitious plans put forward for Bradford over the years. Unfortunately, too many have come to nothing. Let us hope that in this case there are swift moves to redevelop this prime site.