Save Streatham Hill Theatre from change of use to a church
Campaign
Our key campaign issue is the recent formal planning application by Ruach City Church to change the Streatham Hill Theatre into a church. We will update this page as the campaign progresses, and you can also see comments on our blog post.
More details follow, but if you just want to submit a comment:
To submit your comments to Lambeth Planning go to the application on their website and choose Make Comment. You will need to Login with a Lambeth account. If you don’t have one, click Register and follow the process. Once your email is confirmed you can Login and then make your comment. If you have problems with the site please take a screenshot and email planning@lambeth.gov.uk and copy in Cllr Matthew Bryant MBryant@lambeth.gov.uk.
Alternatively, you can email your comment to planning@lambeth.gov.uk. Quote the planning reference 25/01141/FUL and include your name and address.
In a video message urging people to oppose this application, Friends' Patron and Streatham resident Catherine Russell said: "We need our high road in our community to have some good input into it. We don't need another church, but we don't want to lose this beautiful historical building, and we would love to have our theatre back."
** Catherine Russell is currently starring in "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" at the Garrick Theatre.
“Streatham Hill Theatre has hosted all kinds of dance including Ballet Rambert, the great Pavlova, flamenco and a host of classic musicals! I fully support the Friends of Streatham Hill Theatre in their efforts to bring dance and other genres back to this magnificent venue for S. London. The Friends need as many people as possible to oppose the current change of use application 25/01141/FUL at Lambeth’s Planning Portal before its 22nd May deadline!”
Streatham resident and Friends’ Patron Renato Balsadonna said “For the past few years, the Friends of Streatham Hill Theatre have been passionately working to bring this beautiful historical venue back to life. We envision it as a vibrant hub for our diverse Streatham community offering the largest range of artistic expression. With Streatham lacking a proper theatre, and arts venues becoming harder to find, we really need to step up and stop this change of use happening! Please visit the Friends of Streatham Hill Theatre’s website to find details on how to object to this planning application before the 22nd May deadline.”
“It’s nothing short of a scandal that the only performance space in the environs of Streatham is currently an old fire station on a back street in Norwood. This brilliant area NEEDS a hub like the Streatham Hill Theatre to benefit the whole community. We can’t allow this planning application for change of use to a church to happen. We must get this amazing building back for everyone to enjoy and to revitalise the High Street. Please visit the Friends of Streatham Hill Theatre’s website at streathamhilltheatre.org/campaign for details of how to make your objection to Lambeth Planning before their deadline of the 22nd May!“
Patron Simon Callow CBE – Actor, Writer and Directorsc
“The 22nd May deadline for comments on the application to convert the magnificent Streatham Hill Theatre into a church is getting ever closer. I grew up in Streatham, and my visits to the panto there sowed the seeds of my love of theatre and ultimately my dream of becoming an actor. It was a place where the whole community came together to revel in the joys of live theatre in a fabulous building. I urge anyone who loves theatre, and who loves Streatham, to support the Friends of Streatham Hill Theatre in their efforts to bring this magnificent building back to life by opposing the application to change its use to a church. Act now! Go to 25/01141/FULat Lambeth’s Planning Portal.”
“As both a proud South Londoner and an Ambassador for the Theatres Trust, I would so love to see this stunning community asset return as a theatre and cultural hub for all to enjoy. As the 22nd May deadline for objections for its change of use to a church is getting ever closer, I’m urging you to go to the Friends of Streatham Hill Theatre’s website at streathamhilltheatre.org/campaign to get the details of how to register your objection to this application with Lambeth Planning.“
“The Friends of Streatham Hill theatre have my full support. I want to see this Grade II listed, historically significant theatre be used once again for its original purpose as a theatre, and available as a multi-use space for everyone in Streatham and beyond. I hope the church reconsiders, and that the council rejects, the recent application. Access to the Arts and the creative sphere has never been more important, and since the closure of the Space Project the re-establishment of arts venues in Streatham is imperative”.
"I will be objecting to this application. I fully support the aims of [The Friends of] Streatham Hill Theatre to bring this Historic theatre back into theatrical and artistic use." From Facebook
"While I welcome the decision of Ruach City Church to allow for the use of the Streatham Hill Theatre for community groups. I share the concerns of local residents and campaigners that the application is not ambitious enough regarding the level of support for theatre in Streatham.
We have an opportunity to bring theatre back to Streatham for good and restore the Streatham Hill Theatre to its former glory. It would be a tragedy if this opportunity slips from the hands of our community. In 2021, Lambeth Council adopted an ambitious local plan that offered support to increasing the arts and cultural offering in our area. I strongly welcomed this."
The Theatre was purpose-built in 1928 as the fourth largest theatre in London, of a similar scale to the London Palladium – it still is one of the largest in London. It brought the West End to Streatham until the rise of TV and bingo. It then was Mecca’s flagship bingo club, with only minor changes made to the building. It still looks glorious – see these photos from after the bingo closed. It is important that this major asset is not lost to the wider community in Streatham and South London.
The huge stage and grand auditorium allow the theatre company to bring back West End shows to Streatham. The auditorium is surrounded by bar and foyer spaces which can be events and rehearsal spaces. There is a huge dressing room block, which could be offices and studios for new or growing small businesses, creatives and practitioners. Such facilities would help future artists develop their skills and experience. With café/bar offerings it could be open all-day, all-week; not just for Sunday services.
The planning application is to change the Theatre into a Place of Worship. However, Streatham does not need another church. It has nearly 30 churches already, but no working theatres at present. There is a large empty church only a few minutes from the Theatre. It seems absurd to lose a purpose-built theatre by turning it into a church when there is an empty purpose-built church nearby.
The applicant has claimed there is no reason for the Theatre to remain a theatre as there is no one wanting to use it for performances. However as mentioned above there is a commercial theatre company with funding and shows ready to step in (and been wanting to do so for some years).
The applicant also claims that only they can save the Theatre for the future, when it is also clear that the theatre company has funds to restore the building as a Theatre, and less clear if the applicant has suitable funds for repair and restoration.
The application notes that it is contrary to the policies of the Lambeth Local Plan 2020-2035 (adopted 2021) in particular Policy ED13: Visitor attractions, leisure, arts and cultural uses which seeks to retain leisure operations within the borough. It states “Change of use or loss of existing visitor attractions, leisure, arts and cultural uses will not be permitted.”
Not mentioned in the application is Policy PN4 (G i) from the same plan, which includes the statement: “The council will support the regeneration of the former Streatham Hill theatre to become a major leisure and entertainment venue alongside workspace for creative and cultural industries.”
The Theatre is Grade II listed by Historic England in recognition of its historical significance. Listed buildings need additional consent for planning – there is a linked, second application for such permission.
The Theatre is recognised by Lambeth as an Asset of Community Value (for two consecutive 5 year periods). In summary, this means (a) in the recent past the building furthered the social wellbeing or interests of the local community, and (b) it is realistic to think that in the next five years there could be use of the building that would further the social wellbeing or social interests of the local community.
How you can help
We will be kicking off our planned response over the period of the consultation (until 22nd May 2025).
Spread the word
Initially, please join the Friends (if you haven’t already) to receive newsletters, follow us here on our website, our blog, and on our social media, and pass on this information to your friends, neighbours, local residents and community groups (on WhatsApp, email, Facebook etc), and ask them to do the same.
We have produced a double sided flyer (PDF), Front (PNG) and Back (PNG).
You will be able to help us by submitting your own comments on the planning application to Lambeth’s planning team before the deadline of 22nd May. Use the Why Object section above to help you prepare your own comments – copying and pasting from this template is not recommended as duplicate comments may be treated as only one.
Anyone can comment – you don’t need to be a local resident or be affected personally.
Comments have to be submitted via the Lambeth Planning website under planning reference 25/01141/FUL. We recommend preparing your comments in a word processor application then copying them into the planning comments form – that way you won’t lose them if there are website problems, and you have a copy for your records.
You will need to register with Lambeth to submit comments. It would be worth registering well before the deadline of 22nd May in case of problems.
There have been reports of slow response from the website and issues registering. It would be useful if you could report any issues (with screen shots if possible) to Lambeth planning via email to planning@lambeth.gov.uk, copying in Cllr Matthew Bryant MBryant@lambeth.gov.uk. Then try again, maybe a bit later.
Comments on applications can also be made by email to planning@lambeth.gov.uk, or by post, quoting reference 25/01141/FUL and including your name and address. Lambeth strongly recommend that comments are made online via the website wherever possible. Comments received via email or post take longer to process and moderate and therefore take longer to be displayed on the website.
If sending by email we recommend copying in your local ward councillor, and the case officer Astra Spyrou <ASpyrou@lambeth.gov.uk>.
Note that Lambeth must review each comment before posting on the planning website, so it may take some days before they appear. The case officer only works Tuesday to Thursday.
Tell your councillor or MP
Tell your councillor or our local MP Steve Reed of your concerns and ask them to pass them on to the council.
The campaign has wide, cross-party support.
Can you spare some time?
We will need help from volunteers for tasks such as:
Campaign Flyers: Preparing, distributing to residents and businesses, handing out to passers-by
Social Media: Helping the team monitor and post on our various channels
Campaign
Our key campaign issue is the recent formal planning application by Ruach City Church to change the Streatham Hill Theatre into a church. We will update this page as the campaign progresses, and you can also see comments on our blog post.
More details follow, but if you just want to submit a comment:
To submit your comments to Lambeth Planning go to the application on their website and choose Make Comment. You will need to Login with a Lambeth account. If you don’t have one, click Register and follow the process. Once your email is confirmed you can Login and then make your comment. If you have problems with the site please take a screenshot and email planning@lambeth.gov.uk and copy in Cllr Matthew Bryant MBryant@lambeth.gov.uk.
Alternatively, you can email your comment to planning@lambeth.gov.uk. Quote the planning reference 25/01141/FUL and include your name and address.
On this page
Why object?
The Theatre was purpose-built in 1928 as the fourth largest theatre in London, of a similar scale to the London Palladium – it still is one of the largest in London. It brought the West End to Streatham until the rise of TV and bingo. It then was Mecca’s flagship bingo club, with only minor changes made to the building. It still looks glorious – see these photos from after the bingo closed. It is important that this major asset is not lost to the wider community in Streatham and South London.
The Friends, our patrons and our supporters (both individuals and organisations) wish the Theatre to be rejuvenated as a home for performance, arts and as a community resource, and there is a professional, funded theatre company waiting in the wings with shows and funding to do this. This stance would be taken whoever was trying to stop or restrict the Theatre’s future use as such.
The huge stage and grand auditorium allow the theatre company to bring back West End shows to Streatham. The auditorium is surrounded by bar and foyer spaces which can be events and rehearsal spaces. There is a huge dressing room block, which could be offices and studios for new or growing small businesses, creatives and practitioners. Such facilities would help future artists develop their skills and experience. With café/bar offerings it could be open all-day, all-week; not just for Sunday services.
The planning application is to change the Theatre into a Place of Worship. However, Streatham does not need another church. It has nearly 30 churches already, but no working theatres at present. There is a large empty church only a few minutes from the Theatre. It seems absurd to lose a purpose-built theatre by turning it into a church when there is an empty purpose-built church nearby.
The applicant has claimed there is no reason for the Theatre to remain a theatre as there is no one wanting to use it for performances. However as mentioned above there is a commercial theatre company with funding and shows ready to step in (and been wanting to do so for some years).
The applicant also claims that only they can save the Theatre for the future, when it is also clear that the theatre company has funds to restore the building as a Theatre, and less clear if the applicant has suitable funds for repair and restoration.
The application notes that it is contrary to the policies of the Lambeth Local Plan 2020-2035 (adopted 2021) in particular Policy ED13: Visitor attractions, leisure, arts and cultural uses which seeks to retain leisure operations within the borough. It states “Change of use or loss of existing visitor attractions, leisure, arts and cultural uses will not be permitted.”
Not mentioned in the application is Policy PN4 (G i) from the same plan, which includes the statement:
“The council will support the regeneration of the former Streatham Hill theatre to become a major leisure and entertainment venue alongside workspace for creative and cultural industries.”
The Theatre is Grade II listed by Historic England in recognition of its historical significance. Listed buildings need additional consent for planning – there is a linked, second application for such permission.
The Theatre is recognised by Lambeth as an Asset of Community Value (for two consecutive 5 year periods). In summary, this means (a) in the recent past the building furthered the social wellbeing or interests of the local community, and (b) it is realistic to think that in the next five years there could be use of the building that would further the social wellbeing or social interests of the local community.
How you can help
We will be kicking off our planned response over the period of the consultation (until 22nd May 2025).
Spread the word
Initially, please join the Friends (if you haven’t already) to receive newsletters, follow us here on our website, our blog, and on our social media, and pass on this information to your friends, neighbours, local residents and community groups (on WhatsApp, email, Facebook etc), and ask them to do the same.
We have produced a double sided flyer (PDF), Front (PNG) and Back (PNG).
Submit your own comments
You will be able to help us by submitting your own comments on the planning application to Lambeth’s planning team before the deadline of 22nd May. Use the Why Object section above to help you prepare your own comments – copying and pasting from this template is not recommended as duplicate comments may be treated as only one.
Anyone can comment – you don’t need to be a local resident or be affected personally.
Comments have to be submitted via the Lambeth Planning website under planning reference 25/01141/FUL. We recommend preparing your comments in a word processor application then copying them into the planning comments form – that way you won’t lose them if there are website problems, and you have a copy for your records.
You will need to register with Lambeth to submit comments. It would be worth registering well before the deadline of 22nd May in case of problems.
There have been reports of slow response from the website and issues registering. It would be useful if you could report any issues (with screen shots if possible) to Lambeth planning via email to planning@lambeth.gov.uk, copying in Cllr Matthew Bryant MBryant@lambeth.gov.uk. Then try again, maybe a bit later.
Comments on applications can also be made by email to planning@lambeth.gov.uk, or by post, quoting reference 25/01141/FUL and including your name and address. Lambeth strongly recommend that comments are made online via the website wherever possible. Comments received via email or post take longer to process and moderate and therefore take longer to be displayed on the website.
If sending by email we recommend copying in your local ward councillor, and the case officer Astra Spyrou <ASpyrou@lambeth.gov.uk>.
Note that Lambeth must review each comment before posting on the planning website, so it may take some days before they appear. The case officer only works Tuesday to Thursday.
Tell your councillor or MP
Tell your councillor or our local MP Steve Reed of your concerns and ask them to pass them on to the council.
The campaign has wide, cross-party support.
Can you spare some time?
We will need help from volunteers for tasks such as:
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