RESIDENTS have urged councillors to refuse to grant a premises licence to a new cinema being built on the site of a former prison amid concerns it could fuel anti-social behaviour.

While people in the Crosby Road area of Northallerton said they had been stunned to learn Everyman Cinema’s application for a premises licence at the £17m Treadmills development included a proposal to offer alcohol until 3am every day, the firm has indicated it would pull the plug on the scheme without an alcohol licence.

In letters of objection to Hambleton District Council, residents questioned whether it was intended to create a nightclub at the four-screen venue.

Ahead of a licensing hearing on Thursday, resident Gordon Haw wrote: “Joe Public were led to believe this was to be a cinema, which alone will have devastating consequences for residents already living and long established within the area.

“Northallerton town is already saturated with licensed premises, on quick calculation around the town there are already in excess of 22 causing nuisance, damage, upset noise and disturbance to local residents, some nights continuing to 5am.”

Another objector, Hazel Chapman, added: “This will result in excessive noise pollution, extra rubbish pollution and increase anti-social behaviour, in the area of Crosby Road.”

Everyman, which operates 28 cinemas across the country, said it wanted to offer a “unique cinema experience with food and drinks served in the bar area and in the auditoriums where customers can watch films in the comfort of sofa seating, large comfy seats with tables for food and drink”.

A spokesman for the firm said: “Everyman Cinema has noted the representations that have been made and is happy to amend the application so that the terminal hour for licensable activities will be midnight and not 3am, as applied for.”

A number of conditions have been proposed with the application, including that alcohol will only be sold to customers who are attending the premises for a show.