TRUSTEES of Bradford's National Media Museum have objected to plans to include a cinema as part of The Broadway shopping centre development, claiming the project could threaten the future of the flagship venue.

In a letter to Bradford Council planners, the director of the attraction, Jo Quinton-Tulloch, argued against the proposal on behalf of the Trustees of the Science Museum Group, the museum's parent organisation.

The organisation said agreeing to the application would "demonstrate considerable adverse effects to its business", claiming the "focus should be on retention rather than expansion of the cinema offer."

According to the Bradford District Retail & Leisure Study, part of Bradford Council's Local Plan, the projected demand for cinema facilities between now and 2028 is already "significantly below" the current provision, the letter said.

It added: "The National Media Museum (NMM) is a key destination, bringing in, by the Council's own estimate, £26.4 million of economic benefit to the city, and is therefore a key anchor for Bradford city centre.

"The proposed cinema would have a harmful impact on the future economic viability of the museum in the city, with trade draw from the same catchment area reducing its revenue and footfall.

"This in turn will both reduce the museum's economic value to the city as a tourist destination, and its ability to deliver the educational outcomes agreed with the city.

"This reduced commercial performance will also threaten the sustainable future of the museum in Bradford, making future investment in the museum less attractive."

The NMM said it had been working with the Council over the last two years to ensure the museum continued to have a "stable and sustainable future", including an educational partnership with local schools, supported by £1m in funding from the authority.

It is also currently undergoing a £780,000 investment to upgrade its IMAX offer via a loan from the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport, with a new 60ft by 48ft screen, set to open next month, delivered to the venue this morning.

Plans for the six-screen boutique cinema adjoining The Broadway centre, which is set to open on November 5, were submitted to the Council in June by the building and shopping centre owner Meyer Bergman.

If approved, the scheme would convert the mainly vacant units at 14 to 20 Broadway into a cinema, dining, and leisure development, creating 100 new jobs.

Neither the NMM or Meyer Bergman wished to comment.

When the future of the National Media Museum was placed in doubt due to funding cuts in June 2013, the Telegraph & Argus joined forces with Bradford MPs, Council officials, and business leaders to save the iconic attraction via the Stop The Cut campaign.

A petition attracted more than 45,000 signatures in just three weeks, including names such as Hollywood producer Martin Scorsese. Bosses later confirmed the museum would survive.