Drive-in cinema plan on hold after event permission denied

Drive-in cinema plan on hold after event permission denied

A new independent company – Starlight Cinema Ltd – had hoped to launch the screenings following a resurgence in drive-in cinemas across the UK, US and Europe during the lockdown.

But the initiative has hit a stumbling block as the Bailiff’s Public Entertainment Panel are not currently issuing licences for events.

Starlight Cinema is a
collaboration between J P Anquetil of The Wonky Factory, Stefan Rousseau of Cinestef and Philip Burgin of Enriched Media Group.

‘Drive-in cinemas are so popular right now that screen manufacturers are struggling to keep up with demand,’ said Mr Rousseau.

‘The international surge in the popularity of drive-in cinemas means that there is a very high demand for screens, so now is the time for us to channel Jersey’s innovative mindset and push forward.’

To this end, the Starlight Cinema team secured local investment and put together an in-depth proposal detailing their plans to host drive-in screenings in the showground, with space for five rows of up to 120 cars.

But after making an application, the Bailiff’s Public Entertainment Panel told the group that they were ‘currently not accepting any new applications for any form of public events due to the Covid-19 pandemic’.

Bailiff’s Chambers chief officer Steven Cartwright told Starlight Cinema: ‘At present the agencies that form the PEP – SoJ Police, Fire and Rescue, Ambulance service, Environmental Health, and Health and Safety Inspectorate – have formed the view that the introduction of any form of commercial public event would not be safe to hold. As a second line of approval, Public Health also does not permit any form of public gathering at this stage.

‘Event organisers currently planning events for later in the summer do so at their own risk, with the understanding that Public Health may not permit the event if any social distancing conditions remain in place.’

Despite this, the Starlight Cinema team remain hopeful that the PEP may yet have a change of heart, and are currently in the process of acquiring a 14-metre-wide inflatable ‘Airscreen’ and state-of-the-art projectors.

‘While we can understand the concerns of the PEP, we believe that our proposal sets out a safe, considered and professional framework for an event that we feel we are all qualified to deliver,’ said Mr Rousseau.

If given the go-ahead, the drive-in screenings would be suitable for Islanders of all ages, with such family-friendly classics as Casablanca, ET, Jurassic Park and Star Wars among the proposed line-up.

lFor further details, see pages 16 and 17.

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