A NEW cinema due to open in Darlington can sell alcohol until the early hours and open 24-hours a day.

Permission was granted for the Vue cinema on the £30m Feethams Leisure complex to serve alcohol until 2.30am despite opposition from nearby residents by Darlington Borough Council’s licensing committee gave permission.

Like the Echo's Darlington news Facebook page

The nine screen multiplex is due to open in February but concerns were raised when Vue Entertainment Ltd applied to sell alcohol between 8.30am and 2.30am and refreshments until 5am.

Householders on nearby South Terrace complained there would be noise caused by cinema-goers leaving the complex in the small hours, particularly if they had been drinking.

Stephen Twist, speaking for the South Terrace Resident’s Group, said they did not object to the cinema in principle but were concerned at the disruptive effects late-night opening and alcohol sales would have on nearby residents.

South Terrace resident Sarah Hutchinson said cinema-goers would be likely to use the residential street for parking and would disturb residents returning to their cars in the early hours.

Speaking for Vue, Jonathan Smith, said it was unlikely late-night movie goers would spill out onto the streets and create a drunken nuisance.

He quoted statistics from comparable cinemas with late licensing in Gateshead, Cramlington and Halifax which showed that, on average, less than ten people attend each late night screening.

Mr Smith said no-one would be able to buy alcohol without a valid cinema ticket and that, coupled with the high cost of the alcohol, it would make it undesirable for people to visit go there to drink.

He said: “These are cinemagoers; on average one in 20 or 30 will have a drink.”

Despite the apparent lack of demand for alcohol at cinemas, the meeting heard it was repeatedly in the top five customer demands received by Vue.

Mr Smith added the cinema would like to show premieres and film marathons, hence the need for 24-hour opening and the option of selling alcohol and refreshments – including popcorn – until the early hours.

Regarding the parking issue, he questioned why anybody would park on South Terrace when a 600 space multi-storey car park being built next door would be free after 6pm.

The council committee agreed to grant the licence, with amendments.

These were that alcohol could be sold until 2.30am or 30-minutes after the start of the last film, whichever is earlier, as opposed to 30 minutes before the end of the last film as requested.

They also removed a condition allowing employees or bona fide guests of Vue to be served alcohol without a cinema ticket and added one to install signs warning exiting customers they were near a residential area.