Waltham Forest Council will shortly decide the fate of the borough’s last working cinema, the beautiful and unique EMD on Walthamstow’s Hoe Street.
Although several cinema operators are actively interested in reviving the cinema, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) want to convert it for mainly church use despite having previous plans rejected by the government. If local councillors approve their new planning application, the cinema is lost forever.
Please note: the deadline for objections has now passed – but you can still write to local councillors and make your views known. Your local councillor’s contact details can be found here. A full list of Waltham Forest’s councillor’s can be found here.
Key issues relating to the current planning application include:
1. The loss of the borough’s only substantial entertainment venue and last working cinema. UCKG’s proposals would permanently deprive the 225,000 residents of Waltham Forest of their only cinema at a time when there is no prospect of another being built.
2. A re-opened cinema would make a vital contribution to the area’s economy and regeneration. In particular it would provide much-needed stimulation to the evening economy, attracting audiences from across the local community and encouraging spending in many of the neighbouring restaurants, cafes, bars and shops.
3. The EMD building remains viable as a cinema. It did not close because of falling attendances but because UCKG bought it and closed it. There is demonstrable public support for reopening the venue and cinema operators who are eager to do so. UCKG admit they have received TWELVE offers to purchase the cinema.
4. With four services a day, seven days a week, the proposed church development could bring a large amount of new traffic into an already busy area. Many nearby streets are Controlled Parking Zones, making parking a potentially unmanageable problem – while putting additional pressure on existing parking facilities for shoppers whose spending is vital to the local economy.
Two of UCKG’s main planning documents are posted below.
UCKGPlanning Statement UCKGDocandAppendices
The remainder can be downloaded at http://www.mcguffin.org.uk/downloads/
UCKG’s latest press release can be found below.
