Triton Construction is the main contractor for £2.8m scheme, which secured a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant with match funding from Leeds City Council to secure its future.

Hyde Park Picture house opened in November 1914 and was popular for screening patriotic dramas and newsreels to boost morale during the War. The Picture House survived the advent of sound in the movies and remains an iconic independent cinema.

The major revamp will include conservation works to the external façade, expansion of the foyer and the creation of a second cinema room in the basement, underneath the main auditorium. Whilst modern facilities will be installed, much of the heritage features will be retained and restored, including the gas lamps thought to be the only lights still in operation in a cinema anywhere in the world.

The project is expected to complete within 57 weeks.