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Pledge “saveourcinema”

"I will send an objection to Bromley Council about the planning application to change the Crystal Palace cinema (formerly bingo hall and before that cinema) into yet another evangelical church (there are already eight in the area) but only if 10 other local people will do the same."

— Louise Ferguson, resident of Dulwich (contact)

Deadline to sign up by: la 31-a de Aŭgusto 2009
39 people signed up (29 over target)

Country: United Kingdom
Place: London (view map)

More details
City Screen (Picturehouse) Cinemas are interested in returning the Gala Bingo site in Crystal Palace into a wonderful cinema.

But this brilliant opportunity is under threat from an evangelical church (KICC) which has just bought the site (big pockets).

KICC is expected to submit a planning application shortly for change of use from D2 (assembly and leisure, so cinemas and so on) to D1 (churches etc.) They have already told Bromley Council they will be doing this. KICC plans to ship in its congregation from Wimbledon each week. There are already eight other such churches in the area.

This cinema site is a key part of the Crystal Palace Triangle, and could provide a important community focus and resource. Just look at the Ritzy in Brixton, or the Duke of York in Brighton. A church that ships in its congregation each week by car is unlikely to play that sort of role.

More than 2,000 local people have already signed an online petition against the change of use

http://www.campaign.picture-palace.org/?...

and another 1,000 or more have signed a paper petition. Lots of local people really want that cinema back!

But when the planning application goes in (any week now), what will really count will be local people prepared to put a few brief thoughts down on paper, in the form of an objection they send to Bromley Council.

So if you're in Crystal Palace, Sydenham, Forest Hill, Norwood, Penge, East Dulwich or anywhere in the vicinity (Crystal Palace is where five boroughs meet, and anyone can object), please consider sending an objection.

If you've never objected to a planning application before, don't be scared. A paragraph will do, and it doesn't have to be technical.

There is plenty of help on the campaign website about the issues:

http://www.campaign.picture-palace.org/?...

and more will follow.

There's a lovely blog post about why local cinemas are important here:

http://whatsontv.co.uk/blogs/movietalk/2...

There's also a Facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=93...

where discussions have started on useful documents, strategy. We can work out together which are the relevant Bromley planning policies to mention in our applications.

Bromley Council will even send you the planning application consultation letter, if you ask them nicely:

http://www.campaign.picture-palace.org/?...

We will each send in different applications, but we will help each other. You will not be alone!

I've set the deadline for this pledge for a month from now. The church hasn't yet sent in their planning application, but once it does and the Council sends out the paperwork to all us concerned people, there will be only three weeks to respond.

And if you know people in the area, please tell them about the cinema plan, the planning application and the pledge.

I've been the chair for three years of an NGO that was founded on Pledgebank, so I know we can get things done if we do them together.

Comments on this pledge

• The KCC look to me to be a money making cult masquerading under a religious guise, they should be stopped. But more importantly, the people of Crystal Palace deserve their local cinema.
  John Graham, 7 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Yay, some more signatories. This is great, folks.
  
  This morning I just got an email back from Karen @ Bromley Council, saying I've been added to the consultation list. That means they'll send me a letter as soon at the church files their planning application (normally within a week).
  
  If you haven't done so already, drop an email to
  
  planning@bromley.gov.uk
  
  saying you want to receive a 'planning application consultation letter' regarding 25 Church Road SE19 2TE (formerly Gala Bingo). You'll need to give a snail mail address.
  Louise Ferguson, 7 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
• (Looks like there's some comment spam on here. Has been reported.)
  
  Great to see the pledge is successful, and in so short a time too. Congratulations everybody, and many thanks.
  
  If you haven't pledged yet but would like to, do go ahead: it's still open for more people until the end of the month. And the more the merrier!
  Louise Ferguson, 7 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
• I'm going to leave this open for a few more days as people are still signing up every day. Then we'll do the 'pledge success process' and I'll be in touch.
  Louise Ferguson, 7 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
• I'm very concerned about the increased local traffic that will be generated on roads already congested by through traffic, parking stress in the heavily parked surrounding residential streets and noise escaping from the building during the church services at weekends and on weekday evenings. Also I do not think an art deco building in the town centre with 1950s cinema fittings is appropriate for use as a church attracting a congregation from across London. I deplore the loss of the current leisure use and its potential for further development as an inclusive cultural centre for the diverse and vibrant local community, and regret the lost opportunity to use this building to regenerate the whole town centre and the Church Road side of the Crystal Palace Triangle in particular. In making its decision on this planning application, Bromley Council must have regard not only to its own residents and traders but also the businesses and services in the Croydon and Lambeth parts of the town centre for whom Sunday is their main trading day, and the many residents in those boroughs and in Southwark and Lewisham who use Crystal Palace as their local centre.
  David Walker, 7 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
• From today's Streatham Guardian: "A church hoping to open on a site where thousands of Crystal Palace residents want to see a cinema has submitted its planning application to Bromley Council.
  
  The Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC) - which bought the former Gala Bingo Hall in Church Road in June - this week submitted the application to change the current community usage of the site for use as a place of worship."
  
  http://www.streathamguardian.co.uk/news/...
  Louise Ferguson, 6 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
• KICC application rejected as incomplete:
  
  http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/news/lo...
  
  So we're still waiting.
  Louise Ferguson, 6 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
• The planning application has been validated and is now up on Bromley council's website.
  
  http://planning.bromley.gov.uk/PublicAcc...
  
  You can submit your objection there.
  
  Chris
  Chris Brody, 6 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
• THIS IS NOT AN OBJECTION.
  
  KICC IS MY CHURCH AND I WANT THE RIGHT TO WORSHIP IN THE BOROUGH I LIVE IN.
  Article 18 Freedom of religion and belief (1998)
  
  I would like to addresses my the human right to freedom of religion and belief.
  
  The freedom of religion and belief extends to the right to manifest my religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching.
  
  One question I would ask, if it was an Islamic group that brought the building would the council reject or even listen to the locals? I WILL WATCH THIS SPACE
  
  KICC as a body is not moving the entire church, the building is for people LIKE ME who live in Croydon and neighboring boroughs.
  
  Human Rights I am been denied my human rights and as a councillor Malcolm Wicks you certainly do not represent me.
  
  
  If locals wanted alternative provision why did not ( as they are doing now) get together sooner? I suppose many are happy to send their children to faith schools, (there is an increase), but not support a church.
  
  I do not know why some local churches are frighten of KICC coming into area. We are all (hopefully) working towards the samething, souls for the kingdom. if we cannot live side by side??????????
  see you in haven!
  cynthia burnham, 10 days ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Dear Cynthia,
  
  You say, "KICC IS MY CHURCH AND I WANT THE RIGHT TO WORSHIP IN THE BOROUGH I LIVE IN" and then you go on to say you live in the borough of Croydon. KICC already runs services in Croydon. So you've already got what you want, no? Why would you want to travel to another borough, Bromley, to attend church?
  
  By the way, Malcolm Wicks in not a councillor. He's an MP. MPs are not involved in the planning decision.
  
  And if Malcolm Wicks (MP for Croydon North) is your MP, then you definitely don't live in the constituency where this cinema is located. Perhaps you could discuss with Malcolm the issue of setting up another church in *your area*? We already have 18 churches in our very small and bohemian district centre, and see absolutely no point in shipping in huge additional congregations from out of town to our small community.
  
  And perhaps you should ask your church, the KICC, which it is spending millions of pounds on 'consultants' on one doomed project after another (the figure was £2.75m for the Beam Reach site, for example) why it doesn't improve the quality of these very expensive 'consultants'. It seems like KICC is getting some very bad advice. And who do you think is really gaining from this?
  Louise Ferguson, 10 days ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Cynthia,
  If you live locally you will of course be most welcome to visit one of our existing churches in Crystal Palace, sample our styles of worship and community engagement, and if you like what you find stay on as a regular.
  David Walker, 9 days ago. Abusive? Report it!