Theme park allowed to stay open for longer

7 hours ago

Bill EdgarLocal Democracy Reporting Service

Kynren - The Storied Lands is due to open in July in Bishop Auckland

Kynren An artists impression of how The Legend of the Wear show will look. An audience sits on wooden chairs facing a lake and a medieval village. A giant serpent-like tale is flicking out of the water. — Kynren - The Storied Lands is due to open in July in Bishop Auckland

A historical-themed attraction has been given permission to extend its operating hours ahead of its official opening.

Kynren - The Storied Lands is due to open in July in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, and will allow visitors to explore different historical and mythical settings.

The attraction is now allowed a summer season from 18 July to 12 September, increasing the number of public show days from 18 to 57, with extended opening hours and changes to its alcohol licensing.

Durham County Council's licensing committee voted to approve an application for the changes from 11Arches, the company which runs the site.

Opening hours have been extended until 23:00 BST from Monday to Thursday and on Sundays, and until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The licence also permits late-night refreshment until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, while alcohol can now be sold throughout the year all week, including off-sales.

The attraction has been given permission to extend its summer season and opening hours

Kynren A map of how the new them park will look. It shows a large lake with a bridge running across. A circular building resembling a jousting area or colliseum and several medieval buildings. — The attraction has been given permission to extend its summer season and opening hours

Up to 8,000 visitors are expected to attend evening shows with a further 5,000 predicted for daytime shows, the licensing hearing was told.

The committee heard one objection during the consultation period from a nearby resident, who said the proposals would "encroach significantly" on neighbouring communities.

In a written submission, the resident said noise from loudspeakers, late-night activity in car parks, and increased traffic had already affected local people.

They warned that extending the licence could worsen congestion and potentially lead to gridlock on surrounding roads.

11Arches said it had carefully considered the concerns raised and submitted independent reports into the potential impact of the changes, alongside details of measures to mitigate them.