downthehill

Totally disagree about the church providing decent local revenue for traders. For a stsrt it's only going to have significant numeber on a Sunday whereas a cinema would attract vistors all week. In addition we are talking about a church here that encourages its congregants to give their spare income to the church first and foremost. In 2008 KICC generated over ?10 million in "tythes and offerings" - That's over ?850 per head based on it's stated membership of 12,000 so how much spare cash will really trickle into the CP economy ? The campaign for a cinema now has over 6500 signatures to the online petition. That suggests massive demand with massive local spending for the area. More importantly the communitys wished must be considered above those of an organisation that has no local demand.Objections lodged with Bromley Council against the change of use from a D2 (Assembly and leisure) to a D1 uses (a church) number over 1500. This is not about being against the KICC as such. It is about the fact they have chosen to operate from the only building in Crystal Palace that could house a cinema and the fact that City Screen , who own the Ritzy and the Clapham Picture House, actually wanted to buy it. In addition , whilst the KICC have suggested a (ahem)modest congregation of 500 on a Sunday the building is capable of housing 1150. They already own another ex cinema in Walthamstow where they are currrently running 6 back to back services for 1000 people per service on a Sunday. Given that: (a) the KICC have expressly stated that their aim is to grow their congregation from 12,000 to 25,000 (b) that the CP site is bigger than the one in Walthamstow (which can only meet the demand of 50% of their total congregation -i.e 6000) and © they intend to draw people to the CP site from as far away as Kent and Surrey it's only natural that the residents of CP are very anxious about the prospect of having a Walthamstow scenario on their doorstep. This is not your small local church - It's a behemoth that has recently tried, but failed, to gain planning permission in Havering for an 8000 seater church. It's heading our way and CP residents want the brakes put firmly on.