A RELIGIOUS group is reportedly to hold a public consultation event on its plans to convert an historic building into a church and multi-screen cinema.
The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) will be showcasing its proposals for the former EMD cinema in Hoe Street at Walthamstow Central Library this Saturday (June 30) between 10am and 1pm.
It bought and closed the listed cinema in 2003 and has been trying to convert it for religious use ever since.
The group has applied for permission to convert the site into a place of worship, along with a café, bookshop and six-screen cinema in the building's upper floors.
The McGuffin Film Society, which has been campaigning for the site to be reopened as a cinema, is urging residents to attend and make their objections known.
Spokesman Bill Hodgson said he was sceptical about the UCKG's plans.
He added: "This is the only chance for members of the public to make their views known directly to UCKG officers.
"We are also hoping UCKG will use this opportunity to let everyone know the identity of the mystery cinema operator who they claim is on board as their partner in this scheme”.
In a statement on its website, the UCKG said: "The new proposals are for both a help centre and a six-screen cinema together with the training centre, café, youth facilities and bookshop that were included in the previous scheme.
"This will provide a more vibrant building than any other proposals, and will attract a wide range of users."
Campaigners say the UCKG previously pledged to open a cinema when it won planning permission to convert another historic building in Catford in 2005 - but then failed to do so.
When quizzed by the Guardian, Lewisham Council said that opening a cinema was not a condition of the UCKG being granted permission by the government's planning inspectorate for the scheme.
Residents have until Saturday July 7 to comment on the plans to the council before a planning meeting later this year.
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