KICC hold Watchnight Service at 25 Church Road (D1)?

By charlie on 17 March, 2013, 17:37

On Monday 31 December, Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC) held its 4th event at 25 Church Road since opening the building on 11 August 2012.

The event was billed and advertised as ‘Mighty Manifestations’ – Celebration, drama, dance, praise, music – An evening of Music, dance and drama.

In reality, it is believed that this was KICC South-west Church’s ‘Watchnight Service 2012’ which in previous years – 2009, 2010 and 2011 has been held at Fairfield Halls, Croydon and where it has been described and advertised as a service

The ‘event’, which started at 8pm and continued past midnight, was hosted by KICC South-west church’s resident Pastor and Chief Executive Officer Dipo Oluyomi and supported by rising star Shola Victor Sajowa who is a major worship leader at KICC and ministers in songs.

Watchnight is one of the most important dates in the Evangelical Pentecostal branch of Christianity’s calendar, as explained on KICC’s website http://www.kicc.org.uk/conferences/watchnight/tabid/74/default.aspx

KICC’s Watchnight is a religious service where ministering, prayer and praise take place with a heavy emphasis on the music. Or, as described in KICC’s Global Watchnight ‘Mighty Manifestations’ event advert, which also took place on at KICC’s new centre Prayer City near Maidstone, it is “a powerful time of celebration, prayer, prophecy and praise”.

The Prayer City ‘Mighty Manifestations’ advert was almost identical to the advert for KICC Southwest’s ‘Mighty Manifestations’ advert, except the wording for the event at 25 Church Road had been tweaked to avoid mention of  the words ‘prayer’, ‘prophecy’ and importantly ‘Watchnight’. Please compare them. The event at Prayer City was hosted by Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo and the event at 25 Church Road by Pastor Dipo Oluyomi who is 2nd in command at KICC and trying to establish the SW Church in Crystal Palace.

Spot the difference

25 Church Road Watchnight Service

APPENDIX F 2012 KICC GLOBAL WATCHNIGHT MIGHTY MANIFESTATIONS EVENTADVERT-page-001 (1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

25 Church Road Watchnight Service 2

APPENDIX F 2012 KICC GLOBAL WATCHNIGHT MIGHTY MANIFESTATIONS EVENTADVERT-page-002

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Was this a religious service for KICC’s SW Wimbledon congregation which took place at 25 Church Road (open to the public to build a local congregation membership)  and was KICC Southwest’s advert specifically adapted to avoid using words such as ‘Watchnight’, and ‘Prayer’ to get round the planning use of the building which as we know is D2. (Although we would note that Drama is not a D2 use). We’d love to know what you think.

It is our view that this was not an ordinary gospel concert. It was much more than that – it was an important religious service to celebrate ‘Watchnight’ in the evangelical Pentecostal Christian tradition and falls within the D1 Planning Use Class.

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KICC’s ‘offical opening’ of 25 Church Road – Dedication Service and Business Conference (D1 use class)

By charlie on 17 March, 2013, 16:55

Traffic and parking chaos at KICC’s ‘offical opening’ and first ‘unlawful’ business conference
On 25 August, KICC officially opened 25 Church Road holding a Dedication Service and ‘Business’ Conference for their church members. As predicted, traffic and parking chaos ensued (the building was not even at full capacity). Many attendees parked down in Crystal Palace Park without permission from Bromley council (what will happen when the weather is less favourable and there is a park event on?), whilst others were seen obstructing traffic along Church Road  and other residential streets, pulling up on double yellow lines, at the bus stop and the loading and disabled parking bays to drop off members. KICC ‘traffic’ stewards  were also observed commandeering parking spaces and illegally directing traffic along Church Road. The Campaign would like to thank volunteers and members of the Gipsy Hill Residents Asociation, who monitored the event and recorded evidence to defend any future applications or appeal by KICC for change of use of 25 Church Road to a Place of Worship. A report has been submitted to Bromley council.

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Survey findings from KICC’s ‘Open Day’ – what you told us!

By charlie on 10 October, 2012, 15:57

Thank you again to everyone who took part in our on-line survey of KICC’s ‘Open Day’ held on 11 August 2012. Below is a summary of the survey findings and attached are the pdfs of the main report and annex if you would like to read more.

The messages coming through are familiar ones, but they demonstrate the concern that the local community feels about KICC’s proposals and more importantly KICC’s lack of clarity about their intentions for the building. If this was meant as an exercise to win “hearts and minds”, it has had the opposite effect judging by some of the very balanced and objective correspondence the campaign has received.

Thank you again for your continued support – your views are important to us.

Summary of Survey of 25 Church Road ‘Open Day’, 11th August 2012

On 11th August 2012, Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC) held an open day at 25 Church Road. The ‘Open Day’ came after three years of asking KICC to consult the community. This was our first opportunity as a community to speak to KICC about their plans and came as a result of a meeting with the Campaign and our MPs in July, which KICC, finally, accepted.

The Picture Palace Campaign encouraged attendees to complete an online survey. Nearly a hundred people responded before the closing date.

96% of respondents said they were a local resident.

The main findings were:

  • Most people attended to find out more about KICC’s plans and to see what it had done to the building.
  • Many are concerned about KICC’s intentions and the lack of clarity surrounding them.
  • A widespread view is that KICC’s ultimate aim is to open a place of worship, with activities in the interim generally orientated towards religious-themed events such as concerts, events and conferences.
  • 97% of respondents think KICC’s proposals are not a good use of the building. They feel that they fail to make any positive contribution to the local community, creating problems of traffic, parking and noise for residents and traders.
  • Nearly all respondents would prefer a cinema or other inclusive leisure use.
  • Almost all think that KICC’s proposals would not help local traders or contribute to the economic, social and cultural regeneration of Crystal Palace.
  • Many feel the proposals reflect the interests of a non-local specific community, who would be unlikely to use local businesses.
  • Two-thirds of respondents consider that KICC’s proposals do not fall within the D2 ‘leisure’ use. Just 3% think that they do.

120819 open day survey report

120819 open day survey Annex A verbatim

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25 Church Road – latest news! ‘Open Day at the ‘Open Door’ 10am – 6pm Saturday 11 August 2012

By charlie on 7 August, 2012, 16:34

Team CP – time to dig deep! Make the Campaign count this Saturday

25 Church Road – latest news

We’re down…

It has to be said: things are not looking great for those of us wanting a cinema at 25 Church Road.

Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC) will shortly be holding two events at 25, Church Road to announce its presence and start operating in Crystal Palace:

  • Saturday 11 August – an ‘Open Day at the Open Door’, 10am-6pm
  • Saturday 25 August – an opening ceremony (‘dedication service’), together with a seminar and exhibition called ‘Connecting businesses in the UK and Africa’.

It is unclear how KICC intends to use 25 Church Road subsequently. It does not have planning permission for a church.

…BUT NOT OUT!

The Picture Palace Campaign (PPC) remains determined to bring a cinema to Crystal Palace, ideally at 25 Church Road. And a leading cinema operator still wants to come to Crystal Palace, and would still be willing to buy 25 Church Road. This strengthens our case for retaining 25 Church Rd as a place of public entertainment (D2 Assembly and Leisure Use, in planning terms).

What happened when we and our MPs met KICC’s Trustees

The PPC has had several meetings with local MPs Jim Dowd, Tessa Jowell and Malcolm Wicks. We and they have spent a couple of years trying to get round a table with KICC’s trustees and senior management team. They finally accepted and a meeting took place on 11 July. Here’s a summary of what they told us, and our view of it.

  • KICC gave an express undertaking that there would be no religious activities at 25 Church Road under its current planning use.  

We say: Nothing has really changed since KICC submitted its original planning application for change of use in August 2009. Far from responding to the community’s expressed desire for an entertainment venue which is open to all and maximises regeneration opportunities, it seems to us that KICC’s long-term objective is to replicate the religious worship and instruction activities conducted at its Walthamstow church and other venues across London.

  • KICC said it had produced a business plan and intended to hire out the building for conferences and ‘community’ space.

We say: The hireable community space would not provide anything in addition to the facilities already available in the area. In any case, conferences do not fall within the D2 use class. 

  • KICC stressed that many of its proposed activities –  including a Saturday Cinema Club, zumba and keep-fit classes, business seminars, counselling, and work with schools – would fall into the D2 category. It has already installed a single-screen cinema for showing family-friendly films on a conditional basis (that is subject to KICC’s approval).

We say: The ‘family cinema’ is a poor substitute for a professionally run and programmed cinema. And while KICC assures us that its other proposed activities are legitimately ‘D2’ in nature, they are unable to give us any information about them.

  • KICC said it was mindful of the impact of a large group of people coming into Crystal Palace and would be sensitive to our needs and concerns.

We say: Why then is KICC holding a ‘Dedication Service’ and ‘Business Seminar and Exhibition’ (both D1 uses) ‘where over 1,200 attendees are expected to attend’, when its own planning consultant said a more intensive use had “‘the potential to cause significant noise/disturbance and parking problems in the local area” which would be detrimental to the economic viability and vitality of the town centre.

  • KICC gave a sincere apology for any past failings in their approach to public consultation, saying they wanted to “move forward and correct wrongs, and to positively engage with the Crystal Palace community”. It offered to hold an Open Day to set out its intentions more clearly and transparently.

We say: It is unfortunate that, after three years of no engagement with the wider community about 25 Church Road, KICC has chosen the final Saturday of the Olympics to hold this event.

We know very well the strength of local feeling in favour of a cinema, the positive effect that this would have on jobs and opportunities in the area, and the strong desire to preserve the existing D2 use. 

It was very telling that KICC confirmed its ultimate aim is still to secure 25 Church Road as a ‘Place of Worship’ for its Wimbledon congregation, as well as members from across South London, Kent and Surrey. This is why it originally bought the building, and why the change of use was refused by Bromley planning committee in 2009 on the grounds that:

 “The loss of an important entertainment/leisure use within Use Class D2 and the introduction of a mixed use including a place of worship within Use Class D1, would result in a reduction in the range of facilities provided within the town centre, detrimental to the proper functioning of the daytime and evening economy and harmful to the social, cultural and economic characteristics of the area”.

What we did

Following the meeting with KICC, our legal and planning specialists helped us make a detailed case for D2 enforcement. On 30July, we sent a nine-page letter to Bromley Council, copied to local ward councillors, expressing our concerns regarding the inappropriate use of the building and the potential loss of our only significant D2 leisure venue.

Now what?

Bromley is considering the issue from all sides. It wants to see its D2 ruling enforced, but it is also obliged to consider KICC’s ‘community’ proposals based on evidence rather than concerns.

That means allowing KICC to go ahead on the basis it has proposed. If it then turns out to be operating unlawfully, that is within a religious context or outside the D2 use class, we have a substantial basis on which to object. The MPs have asked us to keep them closely informed.

What can we do?

Our focus remains on a ‘Cinema for Crystal Palace’. It is not for us to comment on KICC as an organisation.

So the next stage of the campaign is to monitor very closely how 25 Church Road is going to be used. That’s why we’ll be attending KICC’s Open Day this Saturday, 11 August. We hope you’ll take this opportunity too, and give us your feedback. 

We would also encourage you to make your ward councillors and MPs aware of your views. Thank you for your continuing support.

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