Empire Cinemas concerned about Bromley South redevelopment project
5:00pm Saturday 11th February 2012 in Your news By David Mills
Empire Cinemas is concerned about the proposed Bromley South residential and leisure complex
A CINEMA has raised concerns over plans to build a massive residential and leisure complex in Bromley South.
The £80m proposals from the Cathedral Group to redevelop the Westmoreland Road car park include a nine screen multiplex cinema, as well as a 130-bedroom hotel, 200 apartments and 25,000 sq ft of cafes and restaurants.
Empire Cinemas, which has a cinema in Bromley High Street, is objecting to the plans due to fears over the impact a second cinema would have on its business.
A spokesman said: "Empire Cinemas requests that the company’s objections to the venture be noted and would urge the Cathedral Group to give the due attention to each of the areas addressed."
Martyn Evans, Marketing and Creative Director at Cathedral Group: “We see no reason why, as in many other London boroughs, two cinemas cannot co-exist and provide entertainment in different parts of the town.
It is absolutely not our intention to harm any existing business in Bromley, including the Empire Cinema, as a consequence of the proposed development which, on the contrary, will create hundreds of local jobs.”
Bromley Council hopes to consider the plans next month.
Comments(7)
Mangetout
says...
9:23am Sun 12 Feb 12
Is it any wonder they are worried as anyone who has visited it is greeted with many broken seats and dismal decor on the inside and delapidation on the outside.....lookup and see the trees growing out of the roof area. It hasn't been updated for decades.
Eagles_Man
says...
11:40am Sun 12 Feb 12
Pope...catholic, bears...woods, etc...
karenkaza
says...
9:00am Mon 13 Feb 12
bromley24
says...
10:43pm Mon 13 Feb 12
Rockerdave
says...
11:58am Thu 16 Feb 12
The only thing Bromley has going for it are the pubs and most young people can't go in there, because there not old enough. they need somewhere to go, not the empire cinema. That place has gone past it's sell by date.
If Empire cinema have a problem in objecting to these plans, that's too bad. They need to upgrade and update that cinema or get left behind. I used to go to Empire when I was younger, now I'm too embarrassed to set foot in there.
Bluntly speaking, tough luck Empire cinema, it's about time you had some competition and it's really that which your concerned about. As well as the fact that you will lose customers, to this new complex.
As for Bromley Council. I would seriously advise you to reject their concern and let these plans for this complex to continue, you would be doing the right thing.
LizH
says...
5:04pm Tue 6 Mar 12
I think Empire should try keeping up-to-date with maintenance on their current properties, rather than slagging off anyone who does want to provide decent cinemas for local communities.
Based on the state of these two cinemas, my assumption is that Empire don't have enough funds to maintain their cinemas and could in fact run out of funds entirely, leaving both London suburbs without a cinema, so let's hope Castle build a cinema for Bromley.
goldenbroomboy says...
5:29pm Sat 11 Feb 12