A popular campaign to bring a cinema back to Crystal Palace is gathering pace, with the managing director of the country’s biggest independent cinema chain agreeing to meet residents to discuss the idea.

City Screen, owner of a number of cinemas in south London, including the Ritzy in Brixton, Greenwich Picturehouse, and Clapham Picturehouse, was outbid by evangelical church Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC) when the chain tried to buy the former Gala Bingo Hall in Church Road last month.

But according to cinema campaigners, managing director Lyn Goleby is willing to come to a meeting with them on August 12, to discuss the possibility of the chain still setting up in Crystal Palace.

Some residents remain hopeful Bromley Council will turn down an application to change the bingo hall into a church.

They believe the council could look unfavourably on plans to convert a key community building, that currently has multiple community leisure use, to a single purpose use.

But the church has said it is confident of “getting a good hearing” from Bromley, and promise to run a number of activities open to the whole community.

It has said it will submit its planning application for the site imminently.

The next meeting of the campaign group is scheduled for July 29 at the Grape and Grain in Anerley Road at 7.30pm.

For more details go to campaign.picture-palace.org.

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