Outrage at church's new plans for Upper Norwood bingo hall
By Cherry Wilson
cherry.wilson@essnmedia.co.uk
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CINEMA SUPPORTERS: Campaigners outside the bingo hall earlier this year
Campaigners fighting proposals to turn a former bingo hall into a church have blasted revised plans which could see more roads swallowed up by parked cars.
Protestors who want the Gala Bingo Hall, on Church Road, on the Crystal Palace/Upper Norwood border, turned into a cinema instead have branded the updated proposals arrogant and unneighbourly.
Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC) had applied for planning permission to change the entertainment complex into a church for its members.
It was asked by Bromley Council, which is considering the application, to submit further proposals about the traffic impact.
And this has seen the church increase the number of roads it would need for parking by seven.
Cinema campaign spokeswoman Annabel Sidney says the area is already clogged-up without the extra cars the church would bring.
"This arrogance just beggars belief," she said.
"KICC have increased the number of roads they plan to park in and the revised proposals will just magnify the parking problems in this area.
"Crystal Palace has a limited amount of parking spaces. For those spaces to be taken up by an organisation that doesn't have a foundation in the community is unbelievable.
"Residents are concerned that the only way forward will be residents' parking permits but that involves a cost.
"People don't want to feel that they can't park outside their own houses or pay for the privilege."
Bromley Council held a second consultation with residents after KICC submitted the revised proposals, which are due to go before the council's planning committee on Thursday.
And Miss Sidney says residents are as united in their opposition as ever.
"It's an issue that's touched the whole community," she said.
"It's a make or break situation.
"We have shops closing and the footfall is declining. We need to rejuvenate the area and we believe a cinema would do that.
"The campaigners are willing to fight this to the end."
In response KICC minister Dipo Oluyomi reiterated that the church wanted to become a part of the community.
He said: "We're not out to cause a nuisance. We will endeavour to make our neighbours feel welcome.
"We've taken advice from our planners regarding the traffic flow who have taken into consideration parking for residents."
8 Comments
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by Jonathan, East Croydon
Wednesday, December 16 2009, 1:38PM
“Still don't see how a church in the community there is going to be a problem in comparison to a cinema, independent or not. There is a perfectly good independent cinema in Brixton if I remember rightly.
Just shows you how times have changed, and I saw another such Bingo hall converted to a church in West Ealing just recently and they offered other activities other than just a church, so that is also of use to the local community, i.e such as Karate, after school clubs etc. I just think it's lunacy. Why would anyone want a cinema instead of a church???”
by dodger, crystal palace
Tuesday, December 15 2009, 12:30AM
“jon stay in croydon. leave us to sort out the nutters.”
by Lee, CP
Monday, December 14 2009, 4:46PM
“The church would have a following of over 800 people from miles outside of the local area, and would have to drive.
However an independent cinema would have a scattered following throughout the week, and many of these would be local people who can WALK to the cinema, or get a bus / train from very local areas that dont themselves have a cinema.
And no, a church is not needed more than a cinema...Not when you have several located just off the triangle that are half full themselves.”
by Mr.Angry, Purley
Monday, December 14 2009, 2:58PM
“A church is needed more than a cinema but.. hasnt everyone got a dvd player now so whats the point of a cinema??”
by Marsha De'Lacey, The Webb Estate
Monday, December 14 2009, 2:04PM
“Well thank goodness you live in East Croydon then Johnathan. Plenty of nice developments happening there you can protest about.
The cinema we are touting for is not an Odeon or someother main stay place, it is a picture house offering independent films. It would fit perfectly into the area which has a lot to offer in entertainment.”