WEST Somerset residents should be given Butlin’s ID cards to enable access to the on-site cinema.

That is the proposal being put forward by teenager Tavey See, a member of West Somerset Young Labour who will be meeting with the resort director Julian Highfield in the coming weeks.

There was outcry from much of the West Somerset community when Bourne Leisure, the company which owns Butlin’s, announced that local residents would no longer be able to access the cinema on site.

Residents had been able to sign in at the gate and use the ABC Cinema on site for many years but the leisure firm said it was clamping down in wake of recent terror attacks.

A Butlin’s spokesman said the new policy “brings the cinema in line with all our other facilities, while also ensuring we know exactly who is on our resort at all times – something which is becoming increasingly important in current times.”

Minehead teenager Tavey See said: “This is a terrible blow for the young people who have no means of reliable transport to visit the cinema in larger towns.”

The group is seeking a meeting with Butlin’s management and proposes the introduction Butlin’s ID cards for local residents. 

They say West Somerset residents could apply for the card with proof of ID and local status, then show the card when they wish to access the cinema allowing security staff to keep a record of who is on site.

Tavey’s mum, West Somerset Labour secretary Katherine See, said: “We are sure that there must be a workable solution to the problem which would benefit all parties and feel it is extremely important that positive relations are maintained between Butlins and the local community.”

Butlin’s resort director Julian Highfield said: “We are in the process of arranging to meet with West Somerset Labour, and are looking forward to discussing this with them.”

The ABC cinema allowed residents to see films at discounted prices compared to its Odeon counterpart in Taunton, as well as saving fuel and time.

To find out more about the West Somerset Young Labour campaign, see the Somerset Young Labour Facebook page or email westsomersetlabour@gmail.com.