Shuttered for two years: when will Catford get its cinema back?

The recent decision by Goldsmith’s University to backtrack on its plans to move 600 fine art and design students to Lewisham Old Town Hall was a body blow for Catford.

But another worry for residents is the continued delay in the return of the cinema to Catford shopping centre.

Last week marked the second anniversary of the abrupt closure of Catford Mews following the eviction of Really Local Group which had been operating since 2019.

The Catford Mews site has remained empty, except for a period when it was occupied and vandalised by squatters in the spring of 2025.

Residents are now seeking assurances as to when a cinema will finally return following the announcement by Lewisham council on 17 February 2026 promising that an operating cinema would return to Catford "this summer".

Summer turns to autumn

Back in July, Castle Cinema announced: “We're pleased to share that plans for Castle Catford are progressing, and we're now working towards opening in Autumn 2026.

"As is often the way with bringing a big building back to life, a few important things are taking a little longer than expected behind the scenes.

“We're working carefully to make sure everything is in place for Castle Catford to open properly, and we'll be sharing more as things develop.”

But since July there have been no further updates, begging the question as to what “things” are actually developing.

Is there any further news?

There are two signs of progress: firstly, Castle Cinema started to advertise for staff over the summer and secondly, the cinema applied for an extensive license for live and recorded music and the sale of alcohol on and off the premises.

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But Lewisham council confirmed to Salamander last week that a lease agreement still has not been agreed between Castle Cinema and Catford Regeneration Partnership Ltd (CRPL) and that there is no news on a start date.

CRPL is a separate company that was set up by Lewisham council to drive the regeneration of Catford Town Centre. It is 100% owned by the council and owns many buildings in and around Catford shopping centre.

CRPL has now run into its own financial difficulties and is under review by the council.

The continuing lack of updates about the cinema is frustrating for members of the public and it now seems that the an autumn opening is most unlikely.

Salamander has long been following the lack of progress in a cinema returning to Catford. Seven months ago we reported that in the run up to the local elections Lewisham’s mayor, cabinet members and local MP had boldly announced the return of cinema to Catford, when in reality they knew full well that key details between CRPL and Castle Cinema were unresolved.

Turning a vandalised building into a new cinema

Last December, I asked a public question about the re-opening of the cinema which was answered by James-J Walsh who was at the time a councillor and cabinet member for Inclusive Regeneration and Planning.

I later received an update which confirmed that the costs that CRPL incurred in overseeing the removal of squatters from 32 Winslade Way were over £15k, a figure previously declared under a Freedom of Information request.

"The damage sustained to the unit has been itemised but the cost for remediating it has not been fully accounted for by CRPL at this stage. The most considerable damage was to copper wiring and piping serving the M&E systems.

“I understand that any incoming operators will be undertaking a fit out of the unit and the remediation costs will form part of the work they undertake. A reflection of this will be made in the commercial terms in the form of a rent-free period allowed for at the commencement of the lease. Which is common practice for a lease of this nature.”

Could the continued delays be relating to negotiations over the repairs and rent-free period being sought by the cinema operator?

The 2025-26 annual report of the Independent Cinema Office, representing 30 independent cinemas, empasises the ongoing need for investment and financial support.

“The challenges facing the sector remain significant. Many venues continue to struggle to secure the capital investment needed to sustain and develop their businesses and reach broader audiences through ambitious and diverse programming.

“In a market that is pushing towards premium experiences and formats, independent cinemas will have to upgrade their spaces and screens to remain competitive. This requires a significant injection of capital funding that there is currently extremely limited provision for.”

'The disappointment that comes with over-promising'

While we can only speculate on the reasons for the continued closure of the cinema there are lessons to be learnt, especially relating to Lewisham council making announcements before the details of any project have been formally agreed.

Dan Dream, councillor and Green cabinet member for Inclusive Regeneration, Planning and Housing responded to a question asked by Labour councillor Peter Benard: “The previous administration made a public announcement of the cinema's opening on the basis of a Heads of Terms, a preliminary, non-binding document that sets out the broad commercial terms both parties intend to work towards, before the actual lease had been negotiated or signed.”

He added: “I am a member of this community myself, and I know the harm and disappointment that comes with over promising.

"This administration does not consider that a wise approach, and it is not in the community's interest for announcements to run ahead of the paperwork that actually delivers them.”

“No date for the cinema's opening has been made by this administration, and going forward, I intend for this Council to only announce firm opening dates once lease terms have genuinely been agreed and signed, so that residents can trust what they are told, rather than being set up for disappointment.”

Such an approach does seem a sensible way forward, and would avoid the repeat of past announcements promising new facilities which are not rooted in firm agreements being already in place.

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A glimmer of hope?

Underlying the struggles of a cinema returning to Catford is the overall market for cinema attendances. Sadly, UK cinema attendances still fall short of the numbers that existed before Covid.

Annual cinema attendances figures are collated by the UK Cinema Exhibitors Association (CEA), a body representing over 90% of cinema exhibitors.

In 2024, in the same year that Catford Mews closed, so too did the Picturehouse cinema in Bromley. We have recently heard that the Odeon cinema in Beckenham will close next month.

But developments this year indicate that the green shoots of recovery may have started, with an increase in the number of people going to the cinema over the summer.

The CEA highlight that August saw total UK cinema admissions of over 17 million people, making it the second-biggest month since the pandemic and the biggest August for cinemas since 2018.

“August’s admissions were – at 17,003,838 – an incredible 56% up on the same month in 2025 and saw summer 2026 become the biggest since COVID, well ahead of even the Barbenheimer Summer of 2023.

"That ongoing success saw admissions up 15% year on year.”

They expect cinema attendances to do well in the last few months of 2026 and project that into 2027.

If the growth in cinema attendance seen this year is maintained and people return to the habit of going to the cinema, it can only help support the return of a cinema in Catford and the success of the nine screen Arc cinema which plans to open in Lewisham next year.

After so much disappointment perhaps some good news is on its way. This is my hope, but definitely not another promise.