On the grapevine: a new cinema for Sydenham?

https://se26.life/t/cinema-coming/83

Be even more amazing in Forest Hill.

Slightly ironic that a purpose-built cinema is likely to be vacated soon, but can’t be converted into a cinema due to planning restrictions, while a snooker hall nearby is repurposed as a new cinema…

Are you referring to the Capitol? Has there been a ruling on this?

Nothing fresh - I don’t think a cinema chain has publicly expressed any interest. I suspect we’re wondering off-topic and this is probably a better discussion for the Capitol’s own thread.

I don’t think it is so easy to turn the snooker hall into a cinema either, but it is well worth a try.

More information on https://sydenham.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=17141

Thought would just copy my reply from the SE26 site:

I would love a cinema of any type in the area but heard previous rumours that the majority of cobbs corner (I.e above ground level) would be flats. If this is the case I wonder how feasible the rumours of a cinema in the same building as flats would be in light of noise etc.

If the rumours are true I’ve always thought a local small cinema based on whirled cinema’s (Loughborough junction) model would work a treat. They essentially have one screen, 2 or 3 different films per week (typically each shown twice on successive evenings) plus they rent out the space also. You can order pizza in and they have a small bar. They make their money I assume from the drinks and the membership scheme which on last look (a few years ago so may well have gone up) was around £100 for the year or £10 a week which included free entry for that period including a plus 1. They have been open a good whole now so must be working half decently!