New plans for £10m investment in Orpington Town Centre (From News Shopper)

More money wasted trying to make a silk purse out of a pigs ear. Same thing as the Dartford story.

'The public exhibition will take place on Thursday and Friday from 10am to 4pm and will be held within the Walnuts shopping centre in the area adjacent to Argos/Wilkinson.'
Opposite several empty shop units !!

I think they already know what they are going to do. They have to be seen consulting the public. Any way it can't get worse than it is, and someone may get a big fatt bonus for a job well done.

Look on the bright side, it's somewhere for the 'student' chavs to hang around smoking a large one before getting the bus back to Lewshum.

I don't understand the negativity in the previous comments. I don't live in Orpington anymore but every time I visit I see that an already awful town centre has got steadily worse. They need to try something to bring people back into the town centre and what better than the cinema I was crying out for when I was a kid? Not really sure more restaurants are necessary though, perhaps some decent shops might be better. Nugent has ruined the town centre more than The Glades or Bluewater ever did. Even if you don't agree with me, you have to admit it's about time they tried to do something.

Just what Orpington needs - more restaurants ! Have these people not noticed there is a recession on so eating out is becoming a luxury.

Ask the owners of the empty restaurant especially built, but never used, under the new, New Village Halls.

Invicta58 wrote:
Just what Orpington needs - more restaurants ! Have these people not noticed there is a recession on so eating out is becoming a luxury.

Ask the owners of the empty restaurant especially built, but never used, under the new, New Village Halls.

Oh yes, because a 30 yr+ investment is going to hinge on whether there is demand for a restaurant during the few months of a recession.

Typical Orpington: moan that no-one cares about the place, then moan when someone wants to spend £10m improving it.

How long before someone complains that Bromley town centre will probably getting more than £10m...

Eagles_Man wrote:

Invicta58 wrote: Just what Orpington needs - more restaurants ! Have these people not noticed there is a recession on so eating out is becoming a luxury. Ask the owners of the empty restaurant especially built, but never used, under the new, New Village Halls.

Oh yes, because a 30 yr+ investment is going to hinge on whether there is demand for a restaurant during the few months of a recession. Typical Orpington: moan that no-one cares about the place, then moan when someone wants to spend £10m improving it. How long before someone complains that Bromley town centre will probably getting more than £10m...

You have jumped to conclusions. I guess the 30 year investment will go ahead anyway and I have no problem with that - I just don't think it needs yet more restaurants.

I never moaned that no-one cares about the place, or that someone is spending £10m. I just want the investment to be a good one for the town, and not the typical "more restaurants".

I was pointing out that one of the last investments - to demolish then replace the New Village Halls - still has a massive empty restaurant space underneath. Clearly we have reached restaurant saturation point ?

Invicta58 wrote:

Eagles_Man wrote:

Invicta58 wrote: Just what Orpington needs - more restaurants ! Have these people not noticed there is a recession on so eating out is becoming a luxury. Ask the owners of the empty restaurant especially built, but never used, under the new, New Village Halls.

Oh yes, because a 30 yr+ investment is going to hinge on whether there is demand for a restaurant during the few months of a recession. Typical Orpington: moan that no-one cares about the place, then moan when someone wants to spend £10m improving it. How long before someone complains that Bromley town centre will probably getting more than £10m...

You have jumped to conclusions. I guess the 30 year investment will go ahead anyway and I have no problem with that - I just don't think it needs yet more restaurants.

I never moaned that no-one cares about the place, or that someone is spending £10m. I just want the investment to be a good one for the town, and not the typical "more restaurants".

I was pointing out that one of the last investments - to demolish then replace the New Village Halls - still has a massive empty restaurant space underneath. Clearly we have reached restaurant saturation point ?

... and yet you criticise the inclusion of restaurants on the grounds that in a recession demand for such things is down. You might as well complain about the inclusion of shops, because there are empty units around at the moment.

scottbrown_14 wrote:
I don't understand the negativity in the previous comments. I don't live in Orpington anymore but every time I visit I see that an already awful town centre has got steadily worse. They need to try something to bring people back into the town centre and what better than the cinema I was crying out for when I was a kid? Not really sure more restaurants are necessary though, perhaps some decent shops might be better. Nugent has ruined the town centre more than The Glades or Bluewater ever did. Even if you don't agree with me, you have to admit it's about time they tried to do something.

I will agree with you (I can remember when Orpington High Street did have a cinema), it does make a pleasant change to have some money spent on Orpington rather than Bromley for a change.

Obviously IMHO what Orpington really needs is its own mayor & council, but since that won't be on the table, it would be sensible in this situation to take what is on offer.

I remember when Orpington had two cinemas. One each end of the high street, well if you call Carlton Parade one end.
Most high streets are history, thanks to the likes of Tesco, Sainsbury etc and large shopping malls out of town centres.

Jeeepsie Joe wrote:
I remember when Orpington had two cinemas. One each end of the high street, well if you call Carlton Parade one end. Most high streets are history, thanks to the likes of Tesco, Sainsbury etc and large shopping malls out of town centres.

I bow to your superior knowledge, when I was at Orpington College the furthest down the High Street that I managed was the Anchor & Hope.

(In those days that pub was ok to drink in, the minor villain riff raff took the place over some years later).

I think it's a fantastic idea. Orpington is a wonderful place with wonderful people. The place badly needs a facelift in 'the square' (although pls dont touch the pie and mash shop mmmm), to bring it in to line with modern consumer demands. I say embrace the investment and lets freshen up Orpington and hopefully the hundreds of jobs it will create.. Paully xxx

This is just what Orpington needs. The entertainment and jobs that it will provide could just about save the Town Centre.

I went to the display in the Walnuts yesterday. The quality of proposed works looks good but it seems a lot on money for what we get. A multiplex cinema, another 3 restaurants, just 4 new shops, and a forecast of 130 jobs.

Better than nothing though, but I'm not sure it's enough to save the town centre.

Its about time our local MP Mr Johnson started to fight for Orpington town centre a bit more. It would be nice to see another cinema in the town as long as the prices are affordable. People dont have loads of money for their kids to do things like the bowling, it costs too much for most of the kids around here.
We dont need any more restaurants in Orpington, we need some quality shops.
Also people need to start treating the town centre with a little bit more respect, and they could start by putting their rubbish in the bins for a start.
Unless we all start to do our bit to look after the town then we might as well all turn the lights out and stay at home.

Eagles_Man wrote:

Invicta58 wrote:
Just what Orpington needs - more restaurants ! Have these people not noticed there is a recession on so eating out is becoming a luxury.

Ask the owners of the empty restaurant especially built, but never used, under the new, New Village Halls.

Oh yes, because a 30 yr+ investment is going to hinge on whether there is demand for a restaurant during the few months of a recession.

Typical Orpington: moan that no-one cares about the place, then moan when someone wants to spend £10m improving it.

How long before someone complains that Bromley town centre will probably getting more than £10m...

What!? Bromley getting more than £10m? How is that fair. As usual, Orpington gets the thin edge of the wedge.

So many negative thought on this website! I've spoke to alot of people and most are really happy by this news. These comments don't represent the majority of the people of Orpington. We are behind this development 100%. I was over the moon when I heard the news. The square looks so tired at the momment and this would make it look much better. My only thoughts would be that this building won't match the rest of the walnuts (looking very dated) and shops. I would have thought that the owners would want to refresh the entire walnuts. Make larger units for better branded retailers to come into the town. I agree we have alot of restaurants in Orpington but cinemas need them as they go hand in hand. A Nandos/wagamama would be good. We DO NEED a larger clothes retailer to come into the walnuts such as NEXT. I hope that this comes to fruition!!