CINEMA plans for the outskirts of Bishop Auckland could hang in the balance after councillors gave the green light for two takeaways to be built on a nearby site.

A proposal to build a Papa Johns and a Burger King at St Helen Auckland was approved by Durham County Council’s area planning committee (south and west) yesterday.

But Councillor Christine Wilson, whose West Auckland ward includes the site, fears allowing two new food outlets to go on Tesco supermarket’s car park will jeopardise the cinema complex development.

She said it had long been expected that a developer would go ahead with the cinema on the basis that other retailers, such as food outlets, would be on the same site behind the Brewers Fayre Tindale Crossing pub.

Cllr Wilson said she and fellow ward member Rob Yorke have supported the cinema scheme for years and feel takeaways should be steered towards the cinema site to ensure its viability.

“We want all the eating places on one site, our understanding was that Papa Johns and Burger King were signed up to go on the cinema complex and are frightened the cinema might be jeopardised, we were hoping to get it rubber stamped next week.

“We would lose an awful lot of jobs which is a worry,” she said.

Concerns were also raised about the impact on the roads, from the extra traffic and loss of 53 parking spaces on what has become one of the county’s busiest retail parks.

But highways and planning officers recommended approval of the application by Burney Estates Ltd and it was passed by members.

Cllr Wilson said lots of customers to the new takeaways would use a nearby roundabout which is already clogged up with heavy traffic and queues at McDonald’s drive through on Abraham Park sometimes stretch back to the main road.

Cllr George Richardson said, as someone often dragged to the shops there by his wife, he agreed with traffic concerns but was particularly concerned about the potential loss of a cinema complex which has been highly anticipated for a long time and the jobs it would create.

Members heard that highways officers believe the takeaways would not significantly change the volume of traffic, as many customers would be in the area anyway, but that traffic management of the area is being looked at.

Councillors went along with officers’ recommendations and approved the scheme.