Who are the Picture Palace Campaign?
We are a group of local residents and traders who have come together to bring a cinema back to Crystal Palace.
We believe that a local cinema could bring enormous social, cultural and economic benefits to our community.
The catalyst for this campaign was the sale of the old Gala bingo hall to Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC) in June 2009 after the KICC had outbid the independent cinema group City Screen who run the Picturehouses in Clapham, Brixton, Greenwich and elsewhere in the UK.
KICC announced that they intend to turn the venue into a place of worship (D1 planning use) despite the fact that the building has a designated D2 planning use for leisure. They will be applying to Bromley council for Change of Use.
The purchase of the Bingo hall by KICC came out of the blue and many of us just turned around and all said we wanted a cinema. People had been lobbying to bring a cinema to Crystal Palace for many years. The ex Gala bingo hall is the perfect venue. It was built as a cinema in 1928 and still retains many original features. We care passionately about retaining its D2 leisure use for the benefit of the whole community.
The local community have made their feelings perfectly clear. They neither want nor need a change of use. Over 4,500 local people have signed a petition to this effect.
We need your help to make our local cinema happen!
I have many friends in the Upper Norwood area and would relish the opportunity of cinema returning to Crystal Palace. This would offer wider opportunities for the arts in general, benefiting the community as a whole.
I fully support the cinema. It would be lovely.
Also, just a suggestion, perhaps you could move the petition link to the top of your home page? I spent sometime searching for it! =)
I will be moving to CP soon. I wish to offer my support also.
I live in upper norwood and wish to offer my support.
We live in West Dulwich and are keen to support.