Warner Village Cinemas is to go to the High Court to challenge a decision by Croydon London Borough Council to allow a new cinema development that could compete with a similar scheme to be built by Warner.
Scott Baker J gave leave to Warner to seek judicial review of the councils decision, and ordered that the hearing of the case should be expedited.
Warner is contractually committed to build and operate a multi-screen cinema on the Grants site in Croydon town centre, and it claims that for years the council adopted a policy of seeking to ensure that any proposals for regeneration of another site, adjoining East Croydon Station, would complement the Warner scheme.
But now it fears its plans could be adversely affected by a change of heart on the part of the council, who have given approval for the development of the station site as a multi-purpose arena. It claims that the councils new approach represents a total abandonment of their former policy.
PLS News 18/10/00
