Open-air cinema plan for York Designer Outlet

Licensing bosses at City of York Council are to decide whether the shopping park should be allowed to stage a series of events which could also include live music shows.

The Naburn centre is seeking permission to screen movies which are “suitable for a family audience” outside its trading hours on Saturdays and Sundays, with the possibility of also running the outdoor cinema on “occasional” Fridays during June, July and August.

Its application, which will be discussed at a licensing hearing on Thursday, also requests approval for music and dance events both within its malls and on an outside stage on Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays, as well as for gymnastics displays.

But the move has angered some Naburn residents who claim the events which have been suggested would wreck their peace. The council’s own environmental protection unit has said the number of events should be limited to five a year.

Among the letters sent to the authority opposing the application was an objection from Janet Tomes, who said: “The last time an outside event was held, the noise was unbearable.

“To allow them to make this a regular occurrence is unreasonable. The site is, after all, a shopping venue, not an entertainment venue. Residents have been very tolerant of the situation over the years, but cannot be expected to put up with any more nuisance.”

Dr Andy Pomfret said: “I believe this could result in an unacceptable level of noise.

“The times given, especially weekends and Bank Holidays, are exactly the times local residents would like to spend outside their properties without suffering the nuisance of music noise.”

The Press revealed yesterday how York’s Christmas ice rink could be moved to the designer outlet after its organisers, Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, submitted a planning application.

However, the company says it has not given up on retaining the rink at its traditional Eye of York home, despite opposition from York Crown Court officials.