Step forward for new Bury St Edmunds Everyman cinema as licensing permission granted for basement of former Debenhams

A cinema planned for Bury St Edmunds has been given the green light permission to show films and sell alcohol until midnight.

An Everyman cinema, in the basement of the former Debenhams, in Charter Square, will be able to serve customers from 8am to midnight most days.

On Fridays and Saturdays, the latest time customers can watch films or buy alcohol will extend to 1am.

The decision by West Suffolk Council today is a step forward for the cinema, which Everyman Media hopes could be open by the end of the year.

Andrew Woods, solicitor for Everyman Media, said he hopes the cinema could be a 'welcome addition' to Bury.

In response to residents' worries about noise, Mr Woods said: “We have no problems with noise or customers leaving the premises whatsoever in all our other premises, partly because people are paying a higher price to come to our cinemas.”

Two representations were made in opposition when the proposed licensing times were 8am to 3am every day, complaining about 'drunkenness and disorder', noise and litter.

Cllr Tom Murray, of Bury Town Council, lives next to the proposed cinema.

He said: “The worry most people have isn’t about the cinema itself – we like that and we like the jobs it will bring – but I am still a little bit concerned about the 1am closing time on Fridays and Saturdays and a lot of people don’t like midnight opening on a Sunday, for which I can’t blame them.”

After the decision, Cllr Murray said he hoped it would not cause any problems and reiterated his support for the cinema itself.

No representations against the proposal were made by any responsible authorities, including police and the environmental health team – the main bodies covering anti-social behaviour and noise.

Alongside films, the licensing hours cover showing plays, live music, recorded music and dance. These other forms of entertainment would supplement a few events, including film Q&A sessions and corporate events.

However, representatives from the cinema company made clear the central purpose of the venue would be to show films.

Everyman Media runs 38 cinemas and 130 screens in the UK.