Have your say about the The Regal Cinema development in Highams Park. You can submit your comments at the bottom of The Regal Cinema website. The deadline is 20th December 2022.
The boards showing the proposed new designs for The Regal Cinema presented at Hale End Library on 5th December 2022 can now be downloaded here. Note this design and any amendments thereto will be subject to a statutory consultation when the planning application is submitted for approval in early 2023.
For those who were unable to attend the public consultation, here are the answers given by the consultants to the questions posed by residents:
Is it higher and/or does it have more storeys? Height is a key concern for lots of people.
The overall massing of the building has been reviewed revealing opportunities for the building to shift ‘bulk’ in relation to its context and therefore there are higher and lower parts to the proposal. Note the existing planning approval is for six storeys.
How many flats are there compared with the previous approval?
Due to changes in policy since the previous approval, particularly in relation to the provision of disabled units, the proposed scheme has 33 flats, three more than the previous scheme.
Why has the “glass box” been removed?
Since the design of the building has been re-considered, the materiality also needed to be reviewed to suit its characteristics and therefore a new material palette is proposed, one which better aligns with the context the building is set in and respectful to the existing building.
The “glass box” also presented issues in terms of the quality of the apartments outlook and there were concerns with Building Regulation compliance. A number of regulations have been updated in the years between the original approval and where we are now.
Are the number of seats in the two screening rooms the same?
The actual number of seats depends on the type of cinema operator that will occupy the space since the style of seating will ultimately determine the no. of seats. The cinema ‘box’ for each cinema screen is very similar in terms of size to the previous proposals.
Will there still be a café or will it be more like a restaurant?
Yes, the Proposed Scheme still includes a café which will be located in the cinema foyer. However, this is indicative since the end user/service provider will determine the use.
Will the people access the cinema and flats from Hale End Road or Beech Hall Road?
Cinema access will be from Hale End Road (same as existing Regal Cinema access and the Approved Scheme) and Residential access will be from Beech Hall Road.
Is there interest from cinema operators?
Yes. A number of cinema operators have been approached and there has been great interest due to the site, history, location etc. Further development of conversations are to be had subject to planning permission.
When do you expect the building to be finished?
If the planning process goes smoothly the building is expected to be finished by early 2025.
Comments from an attendee at the consultation:
We visited the consultation and looked at the plans and spoke to the representatives.
We had seen their prior construction plan receive Planning permission with a really unpleasant looking glass box design on top of the Regal.
They explained that no developer could restore the Regal alone as it would create insufficient return on the huge investment required. Hence why it is falling into dereliction all these years.
The revised development plan is for the construction of 33 residential flats within and above the Regal structure. In proposing such a large residential build, developers are required to contribute positively to the local area. This is the reason why they are including the creation of a space for 2 cinema screens and a café/bar area.
They are in talks with several cinema companies who would design the interior and run the cinema. They cannot comment on who would run the cinema until after gaining Planning permission; at which point agreements can be formalised. The architect has designed 150 cinemas and so should be very competent in this aspect.
The prior design for the flats above the Regal building was a glass box design. While this had received Council Planning Permission, the developer has made some changes. They have redesigned the appearance of the flats into a stepped back design in order that the height is less prominent from ground level.
Comparing the two designs, we saw an an improvement on the rectangular glass box design, so it is noteworthy that they have tried to adjust the look.
They explained that it would not be financially viable for any developer to restore the Regal alone. It seems that if the restoration of the Regal and provision of a cinema within is desirable, then the compromise is that to attain this any developer will need a return on investment capital by selling a substantial number of flats.
The architect explained that the building above the Regal is 2.5 storeys high.
While we would all prefer not to have the flats visible, the developer explained that it would make restoration and the provision of cinema space impossible financially.
We live near the site, and are concerned about its impact within the adjacent area. But these are the objective facts we obtained by visiting the consultation and speaking to the developer, architect and project manager.
Have your say on The Regal Cinema Consultation page >
