A RESTAURANT chain is bidding to be part of a £90 million shopping complex on the edge of York but is facing opposition from police over how it will prevent trouble from football and rugby fans.

Frankie & Benny’s has been confirmed as one of the companies planning to open an outlet at the Vangarde development at Monks Cross, which will include John Lewis, Marks & Spencer and Next stores and which has provided £13.75 million of funding for the city’s community stadium project.

The 6,000-seater ground, housing York City FC and York City Knights, will be built on the neighbouring Huntington Stadium site.

However, the scheme has been dogged by delays and may now not be completed until the start of 2016.

The retail park will open next April, and a licensing application by The Restaurant Group (UK) Ltd for the Frankie & Benny’s restaurant will be discussed at a City of York Council hearing next week.

North Yorkshire Police’s York licensing team has objected to the application, as it wants “matchday conditions” to be imposed on the premises licence due to the stadium being nearby.

The police say they have so far been unable to agree these with the Restaurant Group. Precise details of the conditions which police are seeking have not been confirmed in documents made publicly available ahead of the meeting, although they can include use of door staff on matchdays.

York and Selby licensing officer PC Mick Wilkinson stated in an email to the council: “We believe that, when the stadium is built, it will become a destination venue for supporters on matchdays and event days, and seek to have relevant conditions in place at these times to ensure the prevention of crime and disorder is not undermined.”

Further talks between police and the applicants are expected to be held ahead of next week’s meeting.

The application is asking for the Frankie & Benny’s restaurant to be allowed to serve alcohol between 10am and midnight.

The Restaurant Group says safeguards will include CCTV and a scheme where anybody who appears to be under 21 will be challenged if they try to buy alcohol. Construction work on the Vangarde scheme, led by The Oakgate Group and approved last May, began over the summer after being held up following the discovery of protected great crested newts at the site.