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BROMLEY: Cinema and restaurant complex to tower over town

9:40am Monday 25th October 2010 in News

A HOTEL and cinema complex is set to tower over Bromley town centre after the council signed an agreement with a developer.

Under the proposal by Cathedral Group the 600 space multi-storey car park in Westmoreland Road will be demolished and replaced with the £50m development.

It is set to include a nine screen cinema, 25,000 sq ft of cafes and restaurants, a 150 bedroom hotel, 173 flats and a new 400 space underground car park.

The company says Vue Cinemas is interested in being a part of the development as well as hotel chains Travelodge and Premier Inn.

And it is hoping to create a 'restaurant quarter' by attracting chains such as Carluccio’s, Yo! Sushi, Strada and the Gourmet Burger Kitchen.

The developer says the scheme will not cost the taxpayer a penny but will create 370 jobs.

Cathedral's chief executive Richard Upton said: “We are delighted to have signed this agreement with Bromley Council, moving the development a significant step toward completion on a site which is so key to the continuing success of the town centre economy.”

Redevelopment of this site is part of the council's 15-year plan to overhaul the town centre by developing 12 different sites.

But Bromley Civic Society president Tony Banfield is worried the Westmoreland Road development will destroy the economy of Bromley North which has several restaurants including Zizzi and Nando's and an Empire cinema.

He said: “The Empire cinema will be put out of business and we think it is completely out of order.

“It will kill the upper High Street off.”

The head of town centre renewal at Bromley Council Kevin Munnelly said: “We are very excited about this new mixed use development proposed by the Cathedral Group at Bromley South Central.

“The scheme will complement improvement work the council is progressing in Bromley North Village.”

Comments(19)

smurf4568 says...
10:46am Mon 25 Oct 10

So, removing 600 car park spaces and replacing them with 400 plus a hotel and businesses that will need parking is a good thing? Regardless of the impact it would have on other restaurants and the cinema, where is the logic in providing LESS parking for more services??

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sayitasseeit says...
11:25am Mon 25 Oct 10

it's not about parking it's about money. what go's behind closed doors is one track thinking

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Bigginhillbilly says...
7:15pm Mon 25 Oct 10

About time too. Bromley South is a tip and needs upgrading. In these economic times a gamble for the developers, so good luck to them and it's not costing us a penny. Do we really want to keep London Road as it is, out of date, tiny pavements, dingey shops run down cinema,,closed pubs and eating houses. Maybe knock it all down and extend the Hill Car Park!

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ModernToss says...
7:45pm Mon 25 Oct 10

I'm all for it. Bromley has become a depressing dive in recent years. This and the other planned developments should bring it back to life.

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beanie59 says...
7:45pm Mon 25 Oct 10

It would be great to have a decent cinema in Bromley at long last, the Empire is a flea pit andafter my last venture there I have vowed never to go there again. I do not think it will affext the restaurants in the north end as there are many pubs there too and they all survive, people like to go to the quality restaurants there. Regarding car parking spaces I assume the hotel will have its own car parking allocated if not then 400 seems to be stupid and will need revisiting. local residents will be able to walk in or use public transport if they want to use the facilities as it would probably be more cost effective. Hurry up now and build it.

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Mangetout says...
8:45am Tue 26 Oct 10

smurf4568 wrote:
So, removing 600 car park spaces and replacing them with 400 plus a hotel and businesses that will need parking is a good thing? Regardless of the impact it would have on other restaurants and the cinema, where is the logic in providing LESS parking for more services??
The 173 flats will need parking bringing the 400 down to 227 spaces. If you need to see the impact of not allocating parking to new-build flats look no further than the Nugent Retail Park flats next to M&S shop in St Mary Cray, Orpington to see the fiasco in all the surrounding roads.

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mum2kids says...
9:43am Tue 26 Oct 10

It is about time Bromley moved into the 21st century.

I am delighted that we will have a new cinema, the Empire is disgusting, it is cramped and dirty.

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jca111 says...
10:48am Tue 26 Oct 10

“The Empire cinema will be put out of business"

Good - its the most disgusting horrible cinema I have been to in years that needs to be torn down and rebuilt. I live right near it, but always travel to Greenwich for my cinema, as it so awfull. They complain about competition that may close it - but they have failed to renovate or renew it in years, if they did there may be some healthy competition.

The parking may be a worry losing 200 spaces. I assume that the flats will have their own parking aside from the 400? Parking and flats is a bit of an issue tho. I know up in the north where many of the old light industrial sites, garages etc in the back streets have been converted to flats etc have put a large strain on the on street parking in recent years. So I do hope that parking management has been thought throughly through.

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goldenbroomboy says...
11:35am Tue 26 Oct 10

This proposal will kill off the top end of high street, & probably the Mall as well.

If you want to look at the future of Bromley with such a development, take a visit to Croydon & see what happened to the old St Georges shopping mall, and its adjacent area.

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Make Life says...
12:45pm Tue 26 Oct 10

everyone is moaning about car parking spaces but its creating 370 jobs and wont cost the taxpayer a penny. Maybe people should stop thinking about the parking issues and maybe use public transport, transport links into Bromley are good so maybe people should start using them.

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jca111 says...
2:40pm Tue 26 Oct 10

People said the same when the Glades was built.

And when the area was pedestrianised.

As for the Mall. Thats pretty horrid anyway - even after its recent revamp. A pound shop, a shop that does hire purchase on stupidly high rates, a greasy spoon and an Argos. Wow - lets all rush there!

PS. Aggh - why does Newshopper security word seem to not match 50% of the time, even though I check time and time again?

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goldenbroomboy says...
3:04pm Tue 26 Oct 10

"People said the same when the Glades was built.

And when the area was pedestrianised.

As for the Mall. Thats pretty horrid anyway - even after its recent revamp. A pound shop, a shop that does hire purchase on stupidly high rates, a greasy spoon and an Argos. Wow - lets all rush there!"

So you agree that the Mall and the upper High Street have gone downhill since the Glades opened. Do you want the whole of the High Street to go the same way as a result of this proposed development at Bromley South?

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jca111 says...
3:22pm Tue 26 Oct 10

goldenbroomboy wrote:
"People said the same when the Glades was built.

And when the area was pedestrianised.

As for the Mall. Thats pretty horrid anyway - even after its recent revamp. A pound shop, a shop that does hire purchase on stupidly high rates, a greasy spoon and an Argos. Wow - lets all rush there!"

So you agree that the Mall and the upper High Street have gone downhill since the Glades opened. Do you want the whole of the High Street to go the same way as a result of this proposed development at Bromley South?
I feel that the Mall has had its time, regardless of the glades. Its just a concrete alley.

Bromley needs a decent cinema, a few more good restaurants (although I would like to see some independents and not just a few chains appear).

Bromley North end of town is stuck in the 1950/60 and needs modernisation, as its not competing with modern day shoppers needs now, regardless of this development.

From what I understand this development is just one of the developments planned for the area, so hopefully the North side will get some attention too. Its all very well to be nostalgic and look back and wonder about how great the high street used to be, but shopping habbits etc change.

BUT - I will agree - caution is needed. Otherwise you can end up like Croydon. Lets hope that never happens. But if you don't modernise, all you end up with is £1 shops, Bookies and Discount Shoe Shops. We are very close to that at present in Bromley, and I applaud this decision to try to turn it around.

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TonyW123 says...
8:25pm Tue 26 Oct 10

This great news for the town and is the first of many new developments for the Bromley.
I'm sure the devopers have worked out
the parking requirements.

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Gooner1976 says...
3:22pm Sun 31 Oct 10

Bromley North will be fine, East Street Restaurants are always busy, another Wspoons is opening up shortly and theres a big Supermarket! I travel to Bluewater rather than use the s*** hole that is the Empire as do so many others, so i couldn't give a toss if The Empire loses out, it benefits everyone else!

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ROSEBUSH says...
6:07pm Sat 6 Nov 10

This does sound just want bromley south needs. Bromley as a retail centre has to remain a great place for people to visit, its been going down hill for a while what with losing two dept. stores. I'm not so sure it will effect the north end as the more people that come into bromley to spend money is usually good for the whole town. There's no reason why other parts of the high street won't get more invested in the future if this development goes well.

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mickeyboy says...
2:23pm Mon 15 Nov 10

This is great news. As for the Empire it deserves to close. I always take my daughter to Bluewater cinema instead of that dump with it's rude staff, non existant aircon and warm soft drinks.
I shall lookforward to jumping on a bus or train to Bromley and spending money in my own borough.

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Express1989 says...
11:18am Fri 19 Nov 10

I think this will be a great addition to Bromley and it will modernise the town centre. Very good idea!!

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annam85 says...
7:30pm Sun 21 Nov 10

Its a shame that all the new restaurants mentioned can all be found in other town centres within a 10 mile radius.I have no objection to new business,but it isn’t' new business at all, its expansion of existing ones.

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