The last cinema building in the London borough of Waltham Forest could be the key to unlocking the regeneration potential of the entire Town Centre, says campaign group the McGuffin Film Society. 

The historic EMD Cinema in Hoe Street E17 closed in 2003 when it was purchased by the controversial Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) who planned to convert the venue into a church. Their most famous acquisition – The Rainbow in Finsbury Park – is now run as a fully fledged evangelical church. Planning permission for their Walthamstow project was rejected by the government following a massive public campaign led by the local McGuffin Film Society which saw thousands of residents protesting to save the cinema. The campaign was also backed by London Mayor Ken Livingstone, Patricia Hitchcock (daughter of Alfred Hitchcock) and local MP Neil Gerrard.  UCKG eventually agreed to sell the cinema last year but the sale was temporarily suspended when the church group claimed the continued uncertainty over the local authority’s redevelopment of Walthamstow Town Centre had complicated their negotiations with several potential buyers.

The multi-million pound regeneration of Walthamstow is currently the subject of a major consultation exercise between residents, Waltham Forest council and Prince Charles’ Foundation for the Built Environment.

“It is disappointing the sale process has been put on hold but it does now offer the opportunity for the venue to be fully integrated into the wider regeneration plan for the town centre,” said McGuffin spokesman Bill Hodgson. “This is a real incentive for a private sector buyer to work with the local authority to deliver a rejuvenated cinema in the heart of a revitalised commercial hub. This would clearly be the best outcome for all concerned and could help stimulate further investment in the surrounding area. The EMD is the most significant entertainment venue in North East London and has been a priceless asset in the cultural lives of local people for more than 70 years. Its revival is long overdue”.  The EMD Cinema is widely acknowledged as one of the capital’s finest art deco cinemas and has been scheduled by English Heritage as a Grade 2* Listed Building in recognition of its outstanding architectural significance. The cinema is one of the only remaining venues in the London area designed both for film shows and live performances and has previously played host to a wide variety of entertainment legends including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, The Who and James Brown.

“Survey after survey has shown that a revived EMD is what local people want and this borough is fortunate indeed to be home to one of London’s great cinema buildings,” said Mr. Hodgson. “We believe the EMD is pivotal to the success of Walthamstow’s revival and any regeneration scheme which did not take account of it would be doomed to failure”.

The Walthamstow regeneration masterplan is expected to be finalised by the autumn.

An online petition in support of the EMD can be signed at www.mcguffin.info