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It’s boom time for cinema lovers in one corner of London.
First came news that Walthamstow’s old Empire cinema is returning this year, and now Waltham Council have given the go-ahead to plans for a new two-screen cinema a couple of miles away in Highams Park.
The building on Hale End Road first opened in April 1911 as the Highams Park Electric Theatre, before becoming The Regal Cinema in 1935. It closed down in 1963 and became a bingo hall. From there, it was returned to its original use as a full-time cinema before becoming a bingo hall again, and then a snooker hall, before finally falling into disrepair.
Plans to restore it as a cinema have been germinating since 2018, but as first reported by IanVisits, the newly approved development plans bring it a step closer to reality.
The plan will see a new two-screen Regal Cinema and café bar on the ground floor of the building, with the old art deco frontage preserved. The remainder of the building will be turned into a 33-flat residential block.
‘The Regal Cinema is an iconic building in the centre of Highams Park,’ says Waltham Forest councillor Rosalind Doré. ‘There has been much enthusiasm from the local community to revitalise the building and create a space that everyone can benefit from. Now [the] plans have planning approval, the process can move forward to find a cinema operator.’
Which cinema operator will it be? Watch this space for news.
It’s official: Walthamstow is getting its only cinema back.
How many of London’s favourite cinemas have you been to?