“Bring back the cinema” says Clegg
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg visited Walthamstow last week to view the cinema building and arcade site.
Clegg said: “The Arcade site has been this great gaping hole in the middle of the community for such a long time.”
“This is made worse by the fact that there’s been such a lack of transparency about what decisions have been taken.”
He warned against the council “panicking” and rushing in new plans for the site.
“I think the best thing would be to find some communal use for that space on a temporary basis so that a proper sustainable solution can be reached.”
The Lib Dem leader also said he would welcome the EMD cinema being reopened as a cinema. With luck local Lib Dem councillors and candidates will now get off the fence and support the campaign to keep the EMD as a cinema. Many of their statements have presented the church’s plans as a fait-accomply, and the cinema as an impossible dream (despite the money needed for a compulsory purchase being wasted many times over on keeping the arcade site empty).
In a recent post on his blog Cllr James O’Rourke seems confused slamming Labour for “dashing all hopes of the EMD ever opening as an entertainment venue again” but then quoting the UCKG as saying “If there’s a viable option, similar to that of the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton and the Hackney Empire, the UCKG could relocate to a similar building such as the one in Buxton Road. If there is a viable proposal we are willing to consider it. Our door is open.”
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There is no confusion.
The Labour Party’s announcement in 2006 and subsequent actions in regards a multiplex dashed any hopes of the former Granada being reopened as a cinema without a viable option to the contrary being put on the table.
The UCKG’s recent comments have opened a shimmer of light for a viable option to be put on the table. In the light of Labours continued dithering Cllr Khan and I would be remiss not to embrace any opportunity, however remote, to reopen the former Granada as a cinema.
Thanks for the reply James.
Totally agree that the cynical Labour election stunt regarding a multiplex did huge damage to the hopes of the EMD remaining a cinema.
I personally disagree that it “dashed all hopes” and that a viable option has only now been put on the table. The UCKG have blocked many viable options as has been proven by recent disclosures from Cinema operators who made bids in the past.
http://jamesorourke.mycouncillor.org.uk/2009/05/18/local-lib-dems-in-meeting-over-cinema-viability/
See the above link for Cllr O’Rourke’s meeting with the UK’s leading cinema regeneration operator. Superb stuff James, in contrast to the UCKG’s blatant lies that it couldn’t be viable as a cinema (they would say that) and that no bids were ever made. (see below)
http://tinyurl.com/pk4nfh