Petition for Upper Norwood cinema tops 5,000 signatures
By Ross Lidbetter
ross.lidbetter@essnmedia.co.uk
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STRONG OPPOSITION: Campaigners outside the Gala Bingo
Campaigners calling for a cinema in Upper Norwood have collected a petition with over 5,000 signatures.
Protestors are determined to stop an evangelical church moving into the former Gala Bingo Hall building, in Church Road.
Kingsway International Christian Church purchased the freehold on the site in June, but still needs planning permission to change the use of the building.
City Screen, which shows independent, art-house and foreign-language films, has expressed an interest in the building.
And campaigners remain hopeful a new cinema could still take over the building.
Around 2,900 have signed an online petition, with about 2,500 others putting their signature to a paper petition.
One of the campaigners, Michelle Costello, 46, who lives in Upper Norwood, said: "It's still going really strong. No planning application has gone in from the church for a change of use, so it's a bit of a stalemate at the moment.
"But the next part of the campaign will be to get everybody to individually write letters to object to that.
"People just want something for the community and to regenerate the area. That's what it all boils down to."
4 Comments
by Alan Baker, East Sussex
Tuesday, April 26 2011, 8:54AM
“60 years ago Church Road boasted TWO cinemas. Both of which were well used. There are plenty of churches for a fast deminishing religious society, bring the cinema back and use the buiding for what it was originally designed for.”
by dodger, crystal palace
Thursday, August 20 2009, 8:57PM
“A cinema would be a great idea all the bars and restaurants would benefit as well as the locals.Keep the churches to the back streets so Crystal palace does not end up like a car park with illegal parking and folk getting dropped off and picked up.”
by tom, crystal palace
Thursday, August 20 2009, 6:34PM
“It smacks of racism ... people should stop being biggots and just welcome the evangelical church and it's lovely worshippers to CP.”
by Marsha De'Lacey, The Webb Estate
Tuesday, August 18 2009, 2:54PM
“Well done!
I used to live near the triangle and I must say I would rather have a cinema than a church there!”