Subscribe to our newsletter for updates and the latest news
Thames Valley Police and City Council have opposed an alcohol and alcohol license at a new cinema to open in Reading.
Reading Broad Street Mall is expected to open “in a few weeks,” however, bosses say opposition from the police and Reading City Council could delay plans.
Independent film company Really Local Group is preparing to open the Reading Biscuit Factory cinema since the early 2020s and says it will be able to open within a few weeks of obtaining a license from the facility.
But they were “baffled” by opposition from the police and city council, which may be only their ability to launch the new site.
The board’s licensing committee will decide whether to approve the company’s application for a license for the site on Thursday, June 3.
In addition to a four-screen cinema in the former Argos store, the site’s plans include a bar, café, live music, comedy and a covered space.
Thames Valley police said the application for leave faced considerations of public nuisance, crime and rioting in the city centre.
The officers of 3 other board members also opposed the application for leave.
Police licensing officer Declan Smyth stated that the application was not sufficient and would undermine the 4 objectives of the license of:
Smyth said no touch had been obtained from Really Local Group regarding the request to discuss the concerns, but The founder of Really Local Group, Preston Benson, said police and the council had declined his invitation to meet on the site.
Police and the council’s licensing team say the cumulative effect of the centre in the area was not directly addressed and was only discussed to rule out its current relevance.
Reading Borough Council’s cumulative effect on the investigation states that “the center’s dominance is already under the strain of too many authorized premises and that any application for leave in this domain will be rejected unless the applicant can demonstrate that the proposed operation does not interfere with the promotion of the license objectives. “
You can get the latest Berkshire news on your cell phone or pill by downloading the BerkshireLive app loose.
Stay up-to-date with the latest news, traffic and updates, and everything that happens across the county, as well as Reading FC’s unheard-of policy.
You can point to get push notifications, which means you’ll be the first to know what’s going on in the area.
You can do this for Apple devices here and Android devices here.
Responding, Mr Benson said: “We are a little baffled by all this. This is a nightclub.
“That the board take this position is confusing and disappointing for us.
“We believe this can have a serious effect on our ability to open. We’ve done a lot of studies and everyone’s very happy that we’re opening.
“We took an area that was deserted and ruinous and made it something special, exclusive and very reader. We give the community a level.
Mr Benson stated that cinema had a premium delight of an average value of 6. 50 euros and that the provision of alcoholic beverages was a component of what allowed him to do so.
His company has cinemas in London and said crime is a challenge everywhere, but that cinemas don’t have them because they’re places for families and with a vision for the future.
And he suggested that the police and city council officials move on to the scene so that they could succeed over the “misunderstandings. “
Concerns were also raised through the environmental coverage of the city council and the inconvenience and groups of development of plans related to noise and the elaboration of permits.
Rebecca Moon, the council’s environmental fitness officer, called for five conditions, including: “No noise from the facility or any vibrations being transmitted through the design of the facility, which unduly annoys local residents. “
He also stated that the external doors and windows deserve to be closed for the back and forth when events involving amplified music or speeches occur and stated that the outdoor area deserves to be cleared before 11 p. m.
But Mr. Benson said, “We sense how new the air is and the desire for others to faint and breathe, especially in our post-Covid world. “
Meanwhile, officials in making plans questioned whether the cinema had a building permit for all of the other’s proposed uses other than cinema.
And they said that a request for progression would also be required if quotas were proposed after September 30 of this year.
The Board’s licensing team requested that the application be withdrawn until the issues that the plans were making were resolved.