Objection to new cinema project from shopping centre

The owners of Navan Town Centre have lodged an objection to the proposal to build a €6 million multiplex cinema in the Navan Retail Park on the Athboy Road. Flix Cinema & Leisure have applied for planning permission for a €6m investment at the park which, they say, will result in the creation of at least 60 jobs. The proposal is for a 10-screen, 1,900-seat capacity facility with 3D projection technology. Eamonn Duignan of Lexeme Retail Property Group, in a submission to the council, said the development was totally unsuitable as it was at a considerable distance from the town centre, at a location not served by public transport, cycling or walking routes and was poorly served by the town's road network. He said it also would have a serious and detrimental impact on the town centre. The submission also points out that a large cinema complex on the suburban edge of Navan would undermine the viability of town centre cinema uses and would also undermine the function and viability of the existing and planned expansion of the town centre. The proposed new cinema complex would house the largest cinema screen outside of Dublin and the developers have predicted that they could be open as early as next summer if planning permission is secured.