FAQ’s and Mythbusting

 

KEY FACTS 

 

1) Is a cinema viable in the EMD building?

The cinema was a hugely popular entertainment venue for more than seven decades and was forced to close only after being purchased by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG).

A number of successful cinema operators have been eager to revive the venue ever since its closure in 2003. These include Lyn Goleby from City Screen (who own Picturehouse Cinemas, Britain’s most successful independent chain), Tyrone Walker-Hebborn (owner of the popular Genesis Cinema in Mile End), James Hannaway (owner of Berkhamsted’s much admired Rex Cinema) and others. These professional cinema operators are convinced of the EMD’s viability and remain committed to securing its future. The EMD enjoys the overwhelming support of local people and its revival as a venue for the whole community is long overdue.

2) What about a multiplex?

The council has tried on several occasions to build a multiplex – and failed each time.

Nationally, the demand for multiplexes is on the wane. Last year only nine were built while 48 local cinemas were opened or revived. Local cinemas with a distinctive character are very much back in vogue while the public’s appetite for identikit multiplexes has declined.

The EMD currently has three screens but could easily accommodate five if required. English Heritage has already confirmed this would be possible without damaging the historic interest of the building. The revival of the EMD as a cinema would very much reflect national trends and commercial activity.

3) Why did the EMD close?

The EMD closed in 2003 when it was purchased for twice its market value by UCKG – and for no other reason.

In late 2000, Odeon sold the cinema to a local businessman with a clause stating that English language films could no longer be shown. The McGuffin Film Society was formed by residents to campaign against that clause so the cinema could again operate as a venue for the whole community. Five months later the clause was dropped but it took a further seven months to renegotiate contracts with the major film distributors to enable new releases to be shown again at the venue. The lack of new releases seriously affected business initially but by 2002 audiences enthusiastically returned to enjoy all the latest films and blockbusters on the big screen.

UCKG’s aggressive purchase of the cinema in 2003 ensured this success was cut short and the building has remained closed to the public ever since. The government refused permission for the cinema to be converted into a church but UCKG still declined to sell the building. The former owner went on to revive another vintage cinema elsewhere in London with great success – a triumph which could so easily have taken place at the EMD if not for UCKG’s actions.

4) So what do you propose?

Campaigners believe the council should turn down the new planning application from UCKG and instead work with potential buyers to return this building to the purpose for which it was built – a cinema for all local people.  A revived EMD would be a landmark venue for entertainment and culture in the area with the potential to kick-start Walthamstow’s wider evening economy. It could also act as a much needed catalyst for wider regeneration in the borough.

5) What can I do to help?

With an election due in May next year, councillors are more interested than ever in what their voters have to say. Lobby your councillors and ask them what they are doing to save the cinema – find out who to contact here or send us an email and we will help. You can sign up for regular email updates here which will keep you up to date with the latest news and explain how you can help as the campaign continues. 

Find out more below…

1. Why is the EMD special?
2. What’s the connection with Alfred Hitchcock?
3. Who owns the cinema?
4. Why isn’t the cinema open?
5. Is it still viable as a cinema?
6. What condition is the building in now?
7. Didn’t it close because of poor attendance?
8. Didn’t it close because the three-screen format didn’t work?
9. What does the McGuffin Film Society propose as an alternative to UCKG’s plans?
10. Would a revived EMD just show art-house films?
11. Why don’t the McGuffins buy the cinema?
12. The council say they’re going to build a multiplex on the arcade site – wouldn’t that be better than this old building?
13. As the legal owners, can UCKG do what they want with the building?
14. UCKG say they want to re-open the building with community facilities and there would be some film screenings – what’s wrong with that?
15. UCKG have carried out a public consultation – doesn’t that show that they want to use the building for the benefit of the community?
16. As it is Listed, can someone step in (e.g. the Government or English Heritage) to stop the building being used for another purpose?
17. Is it true it would cost £10m to refurbish the building as a cinema?
18. Are UCKG the only interested party with enough money to restore the building to the requirements of Grade II* Listed status?
19. All the big cinema companies are running multiplexes these days, so would anyone be interested in running the EMD as a cinema especially during a recession?
20. There was a public inquiry that ruled against the UCKG plans in 2003 – doesn’t that still stop them from turning the building into a church?
21. What can I do to stop these plans?
22. If the council planning committee approves the new plan, what happens then?
23. If this latest UCKG plan is defeated what will happen? Will they still own the building?
24. Could a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) be used on the building? How would it work?

1. Why is the EMD special?

• It’s the only cinema in Waltham Forest, one of London’s largest boroughs. Despite the council’s endless promises to build a multiplex there is no sign of that becoming a reality, so the EMD remains the only viable option for a cinema.
• It is a much loved local cinema and one of the borough’s finest buildings. It has been in the past, and could be in the future, a genuine community asset – something an identikit, faceless multiplex could never be.
• The EMD is irreplaceable. There are numerous other sites where UCKG could develop a church but there is no possibility of Waltham Forest ever having such a unique cinema again if the EMD is lost.
• It’s a Grade II* Listed Building, putting it amongst the top 8% of buildings in the entire country. It is also one of only a dozen or so cinemas in the whole of the UK with this status.
• The current state of the exterior hides what a beautiful building it is, boasting a remarkable Art Deco interior. It’s been described as “one of London’s finest cinemas” (Time Out), “the jewel in the neighbourhood crown” (ITV News), “one of London’s two finest cinemas” (Andrew Gilligan, Evening Standard) and “an important historical, architectural and cultural landmark” (Creative Week).
• The interior is the work of renowned Russian designer and director Theodore ‘Komis’ Komisarjevsky, the man credited with introducing the work of playwright Anton Chekhov to British theatre. It is the last of a string of cinemas which Komisarjevsky designed in Britain that could still be used for its original purpose. The others have all been demolished or turned into supermarkets and bingo halls.
• This area of east London played a vital part in the early development of cinema in Britain and the EMD building is part of that rich local cultural heritage. One of London’s first ever film screenings took place on this site in 1896, the year of cinema’s birth.
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2. What’s the connection with Alfred Hitchcock?

• Alfred Hitchcock grew up in Leytonstone just down the road from the EMD and is believed to have attended film shows on this site as a young man. The legendary director said his early cinema-going had played a major role in his love of film and choice of career.
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3. Who owns the cinema?

• It was bought in 2003 by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG), a Brazilian church organisation. The building was immediately closed as a cinema. UCKG also owns the Rainbow Theatre in Finsbury Park, which acts as its UK headquarters.
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4. Why isn’t the cinema open?

• In 2003, UCKG applied for planning permission to convert the cinema into a church. Following a massive local campaign, Waltham Forest Council refused permission for the scheme. UCKG lodged an appeal with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (which had final say on the matter at the time) and that was also refused.
• UCKG is now preparing a new planning application aimed at converting the cinema into a church. Their new proposal will include some ‘community facilities’ which will be available to hire ‘at commercial rates’. Members of Waltham Forest Council have played an active role in helping to prepare these new plans.
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5. Is it still viable as a cinema?

• Yes. In a borough of nearly 250,000 people, a cinema is not only viable, it’s an essential and much needed entertainment facility.
• A number of successful cinema operators have already attempted to acquire the EMD. They would not be interested in the venue if there were serious doubts about its viability.
• A survey of local residents commissioned by Waltham Forest Council in 2005 concluded “locating a new cinema within a refurbished old cinema building was more popular than the option to create a brand new venue.” Two-thirds of respondents stated they would be likely to use a cinema in Walthamstow town centre either weekly or monthly.
• A study by the UK Film Council notes a variety of ways in which local cinemas (which they define as independent, locally owned and operated cinemas i.e. not multiplexes) create value, both in terms of community cohesion and local economics. Among many other benefits the report states that local cinemas provide a sense of place; leisure opportunities for local residents which enhance the cultural life of the area; play an important social inclusion role, particularly for elderly, and for other excluded groups such as young parents with babies; and generate money for the local economy through visits to local bars, restaurants and cafes as part of their cinema trip.
• During a recession, cinema ticket sales flourish. Figures from the Cinema Exhibitors’ Association show that 2008 was the most profitable year in the UK for cinemas since records began, with attendance rising by nearly 5% compared to 2006 – up from 156.6 million admissions to 164.2 million. They also record that February 2009 admissions stood at 14,967,291, up 16.4 per cent on the same month in 2008. Further figures released by Nielsen EDI show a year-on-year increase in box office of 5 per cent to £949.5m in 2008.
• Given the above, a revived EMD cinema would undoubtedly contribute to the council’s objective of developing a stronger night-time economy in Walthamstow town centre.
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6. What condition is the building in now?

• Despite the shabby appearance of the exterior, when English Heritage visited the cinema recently they confirmed the interior remains in fairly good condition. Potential purchasers of the EMD who viewed the building in 2006 reported that it was in surprisingly good condition.
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7. Didn’t it close because of poor attendance?

• No. It closed because it was bought by UCKG for around twice its market value.
• In late 2000, Odeon sold the cinema to a local businessman with a clause stating that English language films could not be shown at the venue. The McGuffins campaigned to have the clause removed from the contract and this was achieved – but for a time some people assumed it was operating as a purely ‘Bollywood’ cinema. The planning inspector’s report in 2003 said, “The former owner of the EMD Cinema was, in my opinion, seriously handicapped in operating it in a commercial basis by a covenant that limited the attraction of the programmes he was able to put on.
• Throughout 2001, the cinema was also unable to secure ‘first-run’ blockbusters and new films. However, by 2002 the EMD had reached agreement with the national cinema distributors to show all the latest movies and audience attendance greatly improved as a result. Unfortunately UCKG already had plans for the building by this stage.
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8. Didn’t it close because the three-screen format didn’t work?

• No. There are many three-screen cinemas operating successfully around the country including the Odeon in Muswell Hill, the Himalaya Palace in Southall and, of course, the enormously popular Odeon in Tottenham Court Road.
• There are potential buyers and operators interested in the building who may want to change the number of screens in the building. At least one previous bidder had plans to revive the EMD as a five-screen venue. Any buyer would need to seek Listed Building consent to alter the building. Grants from English Heritage are available to undertake work on Grade II* Listed buildings.
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9. What does the McGuffin Film Society propose as an alternative to UCKG’s plans?

• The McGuffin Film Society wants to see the EMD back in its rightful use as a place of entertainment for the whole community. The McGuffins wants to see the EMD sold to one of the successful businesspeople who wish to revive it as a commercial cinema.
• As well as a 3-5 screen cinema, there is potential for a restaurant or cafe along with exhibition and performance spaces and other community facilities.
• There has been unprecedented and unwavering community support for this issue over a long period of time. A revived EMD should reflect the needs of the whole community by providing a wide range of programming including the latest blockbusters and current releases, film classics, Bollywood movies, international cinema and arthouse titles.
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10. Would a revived EMD just show art-house films?

• No. A revived EMD should be a cinema for the whole community where residents could choose from a range of films including blockbusters and the latest releases. The EMD already has three screens (with the potential to develop more) so a cinema operator could provide a wide range of films that would appeal to all local audiences.
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11. Why don’t the McGuffins buy the cinema?

• The EMD Cinema is not currently available for anyone to buy.
• The McGuffin Film Society is an independent local community group which does not receive any external funding and does not have the resources to acquire the EMD. However, the McGuffin Film Society has long been aware of serious commercial interest in the revival of the EMD by experienced and successful cinema operators. The McGuffin Film Society wants the best cinema possible for Waltham Forest and is committed to supporting potential buyers with a proven track record of running a successful film venue or similar business.
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12. The council say they’re going to build a multiplex on the arcade site – wouldn’t that be better than this old building?

• A survey of local people commissioned by Waltham Forest Council in 2005 concluded “locating a new cinema within a refurbished old cinema building was more popular that the option to create a brand new venue.”
• There are currently no plans for a multiplex on the Arcade site, despite what some councillors have said. Over the 10 years of plans for this now derelict site, two developers have dropped out and the council’s most recent proposals have been scrapped because they contravened EU law. Although there has been much debate about building a multiplex, there are no concrete plans. The ambitions of some councillors for a multiplex on the Arcade site does not change that.
• The demand for multiplexes is waning. Last year only nine were built, while 48 local cinemas were opened or reopened. The demand for local cinemas with a distinctive character is rising as the public’s appetite for identikit multiplexes declines.
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13. As the legal owners, can UCKG do what they want with the building?

• No. The building is Grade II* Listed and there are legal restrictions on what can be done with it. Government guidance states the best use of any listed building is the original use.
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14. UCKG say they want to re-open the building with community facilities and there would be some film screenings – what’s wrong with that?

• UCKG’s record in this area is lamentably poor. They obtained planning permission for a partial change of use at an old cinema in Catford after an appeal in 2005. They originally stated the building would be “a combination of church and a thriving community centre, plus a cinema.” They appointed a small independent cinema operator to run the venue but the cinema operator found UCKG extremely uncooperative as soon as they had obtained planning permission. Frustrated, the cinema operator pulled out. No films have been shown at the venue.
• At the former Rainbow Theatre in Finsbury Park, which UCKG have owned and run for 13 years, they have screened a total of two films. In 2004, a much publicised screening of ‘Sunset Boulevard’ took place but this was organised by the Cinema Theatre Association who paid a very substantial fee to use the church facilities. At the time, UCKG said “future screenings are anticipated.” However, in the five years since then only one further film has been shown – the straight-to-video Christian-themed movie ‘Fireproof’.
• Jenny Walton, one of UCKG’s PR representatives, said the EMD’s ‘community spaces’ would be managed by “someone with arts and marketing experience who may or may not be a member of the church.” Given UCKG’s record on film screenings elsewhere, the lack of an independent person in the booking and management process is a serious concern and is likely to limit use of facilities by the Walthamstow community.
• There is no indication of what UCKG would charge for hire of their proposed ‘community’ spaces.
• Shared use of the building means cinema chains (the only people who can get prints of the latest films) won’t be interested.
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15. UCKG have carried out a public consultation – doesn’t that show that they want to use the building for the benefit of the community?

• UCKG held an exhibition, not a public consultation, of their plans for two days during the Easter Holidays in a building some distance from the EMD. The exhibition was only advertised a week or so beforehand (again, during the Easter Holidays) and, bizarrely, was staffed by the public relations company Remarkable PR, rather than by members of the Church. It was only open for a handful of hours on each of the two days.
• A ‘public consultation’ means that those consulting the public have to take into consideration the feedback submitted to them. An ‘exhibition’ means that UCKG can, if they wish, effectively ignore what comments and feedback you may have submitted.
• The feedback form issued did not ask respondents for their views on whether a change of use should be permitted or for their views on what the building should be used for. The form can be seen on UCKG’s site.
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16. As it is Listed, can someone step in (e.g. the Government or English Heritage) to stop the building being used for another purpose?

• English Heritage must be consulted on any plans for change of use to the building or any structural alterations because of the building’s listed status. They have a role in providing expert advice to the council before any permission on Listed Buildings can be given. See here for more information on listed buildings.
• Planning decisions can be called in by the Department for Communities and Local Government.
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17. Is it true it would cost £10m to refurbish the building as a cinema?

• No. That figure has been quoted at various times by various people who do not support the revival of the EMD as a cinema. It isn’t supported by available facts.
• Pastor Paul Hill, head of property for UCKG, has stated that initial refurbishment costs for their cinema conversion in Catford (a similar listed building) were between £500-800k.
• The cost of acquiring the building is estimated at £1.4m, based on a valuation undertaken by the London Development Agency. UCKG paid £2.8m for the building even though they did not have planning permission to use it for church purposes. The previous EMD owner turned down several offers from UCKG before accepting this vastly over-inflated bid.
• An independent businessman who investigated buying the EMD three years ago concluded that a council-commissioned report by consultants had over-estimated refurbishment costs by nearly £3m. Their report contained basic mathematical errors, counting some costs twice and basing their conclusions on inaccurate measurements. Some costings were even copied directly from a report commissioned by UCKG!
• The Hailsham Pavilion, a Grade II listed cinema in East Sussex, was left derelict for nearly a decade. The building suffered from serious problems both with damp and persistent vandalism. The total refurbishment costs to revive the building as a fully operational cinema and theatre venue were £500k.
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18. Are UCKG the only interested party with enough money to restore the building to the requirements of Grade II* Listed status?

• No. There are other parties interested in buying the building and restoring it – to its original function as cinema. Grants for Grade II* Listed buildings are available from English Heritage and there are also other sources of funding including the Heritage Lottery Fund. If another owner took possession of the building to restore it as a cinema, there is no doubt additional public funding would be available if required.
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19. All the big cinema companies are running multiplexes these days, so would anyone be interested in running the EMD as a cinema especially during a recession?

• Yes. UCKG has publicly said they received several seven-figure offers to buy the building when it was briefly on the market.
• The McGuffins have had discussions with several business people and cinema operators who are interested in buying the building and running it as a cinema.
• The demand for multiplexes is waning. Last year only nine were built, while 48 local cinemas were opened or reopened. The demand for local cinemas with a distinctive character is rising as the public’s appetite for identikit multiplexes declines.
• During a recession, cinema ticket sales flourish. 2008 was the most profitable year in the UK for cinemas for over 30 years, with attendance rising by nearly 5% compared to 2006 – up from 156.6 million admissions to 164.2 million (source: The Cinema Exhibitors’ Association Ltd).
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20. There was a public inquiry that ruled against the UCKG plans in 2003 – doesn’t that still stop them from turning the building into a church?

• The plans are slightly different this time and have been drawn up with input from members of the council who are keen to push the development through.
• In particular, UCKG is including some ‘community facilities’ in its plans, which might mean they can apply for only a partial change of use. Last time they sought a complete change of use on the building.
• The council may argue that, because they have an intention to develop a multiplex in Walthamstow, the circumstances have changed since 2003. In fact there are no existing plans for a multiplex, therefore this argument has no bearing on an application for the EMD.
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21. What can I do to stop these plans?

• Keep up to date at The McGuffins website
• Lobby your local councillors about how important it is that the EMD reopens as a cinema. You can find out who your councillor is on the Council website here. Write to them or email them at the addresses on that site. Or attend one of their public surgeries – details are also on the site.
• Lobby the local party leaders. They are Chris Robbins (Labour), Matthew Davis (Conservative) and John Macklin (Liberal Democrat). Their details are available from the same site. Please note, as Cllr Davis is on the planning committee, he has to remain neutral on any planning issues.
• Be aware if a councillor is on the planning committee they will not be able to tell you what they think about the application in advance – although there’s no reason why you cannot make your views known to them. The members of the planning committee are listed here.
• Remember: objections to the planning application need to be made on planning grounds.
• Many people have very strong opinions on UCKG. Please do not use these as a basis for objecting to the planning application. This needs to be fought on planning grounds.
• Around 600 people demonstrated against the plans in April. Please support any other public action which is organised. Send an email to the McGuffins marked ‘Mailing List’ to be kept informed.
• Please inform friends, family and neighbours about the latest developments.
• If you’re on Facebook there is a page you can join which will list any help that is needed.
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22. If the council planning committee approves the new plan, what happens then?

• If there are questions over how the council handled the application, complaints can be made to the Local Government Ombudsman.
• Planning decisions can be called in by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, particularly if they relate to significant architectural and urban design issues or have given rise to substantial national or regional controversy.
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23. If this latest UCKG plan is defeated what will happen? Will they still own the building?

• Yes – but there are serious offers from business people and cinema operators to buy it. UCKG may be less reluctant to sell the EMD if this latest application is refused.
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24. Could a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) be used on the building? How would it work?

• Yes, the council has the powers to seek a CPO on the building.
• As the EMD is next to the derelict arcade site there is a strong argument for a CPO to be used so that the whole area can be redeveloped for the benefit of Walthamstow’s local economy.
• Under planning law, the presence of a Grade II* Listed building has an impact on what can and cannot be built next to it – therefore treating the EMD as a part of the broader Arcade site development would make perfect sense.
• CPOs can be expensive, but the council would not need to spend public money. If a buyer is in place to acquire the EMD as a cinema the council would immediately recoup the cost of the CPO – it would simply be facilitating the sale of the building to a commercial operator.
• Other councils have used CPOs to reclaim old cinema buildings. For example, the Pavilion in Hailsham was left empty for nine years after the bingo business which had been running it collapsed. The local council issued a CPO and it has now been restored to its original use as a cinema. It has been running successfully as a cinema since 2000.
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