WORK on a new £50m cinema and restaurant scheme is still on track to start this autumn, despite a “number of minor technical issues”.

Bournemouth council has agreed to alter its contract with developer Trevor Osborne to give him more time to secure all the funding he needs for the Nautilus development. The development, which includes a nine-screen cinema, shops, a dozen restaurants and a 350-space underground car park, is to be built next to the Pavilion Theatre on the Bath Road North car park.

Mr Osborne said he had made good progress, signing up the Odeon cinema chain and six of the restaurants, and the council has now agreed to waive the outstanding conditions that he is not likely to fulfil before the original deadline of June 29.

He told the Echo: “It’s all going really well and everyone’s really enthusiastic about the project, we just need to sign a couple more restaurants up.

“There’s been a very good response to the marketing, they love the architecture and see that it will be such a good addition to the town, especially with the Imax building being demolished opening up the views.

“I’m not in a position to release names just yet but we have a complete mix of restaurants signed up. They include a local person some fairly big names and family restaurants. It’s a place for families.”

Work is due to start this autumn, with the aim of the project being completed by the summer of 2014.