Campaigners try to save Beckenham's Art Deco Odeon

5 hours ago

Nora FakimLondon

News image — The odeon on the high street in Beckenham is a grade II listed building

BBC the odeon on the high street in beckenham, a grade II listed building — The odeon on the high street in Beckenham is a grade II listed building

Campaigners are fighting to save a century-old cinema in south-east London after its operator announced it would close at the end of November.

The Odeon on the high street in Beckenham said it had entered "a voluntary commercial agreement with its landlord" and would stop operating from the Grade II-listed building.

The site is owned by Citygate Church, which wants to turn it into a place of worship and community space while restoring some of its Art Deco features.

The Save Our Screen group wants it to remain a cinema, with some residents describing the closure as a blow to the community.

The building was designed as the Regal Cinema by the notable cinema architect Robert Cromie and opened in 1930.

The foyer retains the original Art deco doors, plaster wave moulding and the staircases.

The auditorium retains the complete proscenium arch, while the main entrance and staircase to the original first floor restaurant also survived, along with the original restaurant dumb waiter.

Nicola Ouzman, with long blonde hair and a black shirt, smiles on a Beckenham street with shops behind her — Nicola Ouzman says the campaign has been flooded with people's memories of the cinema

Carina, whose two autistic children go at least once a month, said it was "a real safe space for them, and we don't have any other community space like this".

Mo Martin, a regular for decades, said the closure was "really sad and a loss to the community".

But one resident, who went often as a child, said they had "barely set foot inside" in 10 years and found it "very run-down", preferring better-equipped cinemas elsewhere.

Mo Martin, with shoulder-length twists and a blue top, smiles in front of a white wall — Mo Martin has been going to the cinema for decades

Campaigner Nicola Ouzman said the group had been inundated with memories of the venue. "My grandparents went on their first date here, and then my grandad had his bike stolen after the date," she said.

Fellow campaigner Amanda Lawton said it was "a little run-down at the moment, but I think with the right motivation, we can create something really special here".

Liam Conlon, the Labour MP for Beckenham and Penge, said he wanted the building to stay a cultural space, pointing to Crystal Palace and Walthamstow as places where communities had rallied after cinemas closed.

Citygate Church will hold a public consultation on the building's future on Saturday.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk