Granada (EMD) Public Inquiry

The long awaited Public Inquiry to determine the fate of Walthamstow’s EMD Cinema will commence on Thursday 29 November and is expected to run until at least Christmas.

The government is holding the Inquiry to reach a final decision on the two recent planning applications submitted by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) aimed at converting the venue for mainly religious use. Both of these planning applications have already been rejected by Waltham Forest Council but the Inquiry will examine all the evidence again in greater detail in order to make a binding judgement on the case.

The first two days of the Inquiry (29 and 30 November from 10am) will be held at Walthamstow Assembly Hall and members of the public are encouraged to attend on these days and hear the main arguments from all sides.

Subsequent sessions of the Inquiry are currently scheduled to be held Tuesday – Friday each week with the venue alternating between the Assembly Hall and the smaller Council Chamber at Waltham Forest Town Hall.

COMPULSORY PURCHASE?

In other news, senior local councillors will meet at Waltham Forest Town Hall on Tuesday 4 December to debate and decide a proposal to support the Compulsory Purchase of the EMD Cinema so it can be revived as a place of entertainment by a suitable new owner (pending the outcome of the Public Inquiry). The debate will be open to the public with access to the Town Hall from 7pm. 

This will be a critical few weeks in the long campaign to save the EMD Cinema so please keep checking the McGuffin website for all the latest news updates.