The MP for Beckenham and Penge has vowed to oppose plans to turn the town’s historic Odeon cinema into a place of worship, backing a community campaign to save the venue.
Citygate Church, which bought the building last year, has revealed it will apply to change the cinema into a place of worship. The news prompted an outpouring of concern from residents and local businesses.
The cinema first opened on Beckenham High Street in 1930 as The Regal, a picture palace with a ballroom above. The building is Grade II listed and, for nearly 100 years, has been part of the fabric of Beckenham as an iconic landmark at the heart of the High Street.
As well as showing films from around the world, the site has hosted dancing and theatre and provided a community space for generations to meet.
Liam Conlon, the Labour MP for Beckenham and Penge, said the future of the Odeon matters for other High Street businesses too, given the footfall the cinema brings throughout the week. When people watch a film at the Odeon, he said, they often go for a meal in a local restaurant, have a pint in the pub, or a coffee in one of the town’s cafes.
He said: “Of all the local High Street businesses that have been in touch with me about the closure of the Beckenham Odeon, not one has been supportive of a change to a place of worship. They have told me how losing the Odeon as an entertainment’s venue would be a big blow.”
But it is the response from residents that has been most striking, he said. He has received more correspondence on this than on any other local issue since he was elected two years ago, with over 6,000 residents contacting him so far.
Among them was Roger, who said: “I’ve been going to this cinema since I saw Empire Strike Back here as a 6-year-old boy in 1980. 40 years later, I saw the anniversary release with my daughter.” Melissa said the cinema is particularly special to her 18-year-old autistic daughter, who can walk there easily and safely: “It’s not an exaggeration to say this cinema is a lifeline to her.”
Conlon said: “When the application goes in to make the cinema a place of worship, I will oppose it, and I will use every lever available to me as the local MP in doing so.”
He is supporting the community-led ‘Save Our Screen’ campaign run by Friends of Beckenham Cinema, and stressed that the outcome is not a done deal. He pointed to Crystal Palace, which he also represents, where a similar “mega church” bought the Gala Bingo Hall on Church Road and sought to turn it into a place of worship. The community campaigned, the change of use was stopped, and the building reopened as the Everyman cinema, which is now flourishing.
“It’s not about faith, religion, or party politics,” he said. “It’s about the future of our community in Beckenham and Penge.”
Cinema heritage remains a live issue across London. Croydon’s film past recently got its own walking tour, celebrating Batman, Taylor Swift and a Gotham City double, while Beckenham’s Upper Elmers End Road remains closed after a collision that saw a man rushed to hospital.
