And cut! Kilkenny cinema seat reduction plan in the frame a year after opening

A Kilkenny cinema, which opened last year, is looking to cut back the amount of its overall seats but keep the extra screens created.

Last year, IMC Cinema’s opened their new facility on Barrack St near MacDonagh Junction and are now looking to retain some of the features built in, while looking for permission to alter others.

As part of the original planning granted in 2015, IMC had requested permission to demolish a two-storey building on Barack Street but are now requesting this will not be demolished.

The new application is also seeking to reduce the number of seats in the cinema building from 1,444 overall seats to 1,250 seats.

Although the number of seats may be reduced, IMC is looking for permission to retain the sub-division of the previously approved screens 4 and 5 into three different screens containing 60 seats each.

IMC is seeking permission to retain the relocation of the proposed Staff Room, Office and Popcorn Store from Foyer Level to Entrance Level and the retention of an additional Screen 12 containing 23 seats within this area on Foyer Level.

The submitted planning application is also seeking retention for the re-configurated car park, which will include additional 34 car parking spaces.

Last year the decision was made to keep the old IMC cinema on Gaol Road in the city open, despite opening their new facility.