Council approves Catterick cinema plans

Lingfield (Catterick) LTD.

 

Councillors have approved planning permission for the proposed seven screen cinema and town centre complex in Catterick Garrison.

The decision comes after months of tense exchanges between Richmondshire residents, businesses and developers.

A Richmondshire District Council planning committee had previously decided to defer their vote on the cinema after concerns were raised regarding the viability of Richmond’s Station Cinema should the Catterick complex go ahead.

A donation of £75,000 was offered by developers Lingfield Ltd, however The Station Cinema trustees declined.

In a statement to the council, John Culpan from Richmondshire Building Preservation Trust said the trustees declined the offer to not prejudice the Station’s Cinema’s opposition to the seven screen application.

The planning committee also heard statements from several members of the public both in support and opposed to the development.

Fifteen-year-old Richmond School student, Cerys Jay Scott, told the committee her support for the Catterick cinema reflected the views of other youngsters.

Miss Scott said: “My parents try to encourage me to go out more…but I can’t see the point at the moment, as there is usually nowhere to go.

“I hope you take the opinion of the younger generation into account when you are considering your decision.”

An online petition in support of the development attracted just under 1,500 signatures between March 25 and 1 April. [See link: http://bit.ly/1jXDTXG]

The debate also saw councillors slam a suggestion by Councillor Duff that a report from the council’s Monitoring Officer, Callum McKeon, was ‘pernicious’.

The document in question was an unbiased assessment of whether key tenants, such as clothing shop Next, would pull out of the town centre project if the seven screen cinema was not approved.