Squatters have taken over the closed-down Catford Mews cinema, five months after it closed suddenly after a row over unpaid rent.
The venue has been empty since late October after Really Local Group, the company that operated the cinema, was thrown out by the Lewisham Council-owned company that owns the site in a row over unpaid rent, prompting angry exchanges between the two parties.
Employees at neighbouring businesses in the Catford Centre said the squatters had mostly kept a low profile, except two Saturdays ago when they are said to have held an all-day rave in the building.
A Holland & Barrett employee told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that when he turned up to work he could hear booming music coming from next door. He added: “The police came later in the afternoon and stood outside. I think it had stopped by the time I closed up for the day.”
The Greenwich Wire has been sent a video that was said to have been taken in another shop in the centre, where loud music can be heard booming through the walls.
Another local, who declined to give their name, said: “It’s exactly how you’d imagine it to be with squatters. There’s music, noise and partying. Who knows how they’re going to the toilet or showering. I’m just glad I’m not the one cleaning up after them when they’re kicked out.”
The shopping centre is managed by the council-run Catford Regeneration Partnership Limited (CRPL). The company served an eviction order on Monday, with a possession hearing due to take place at Bromley county court on Thursday.
There was no reply to a knock on the side door of Catford Mews on Tuesday. A notice stuck up outside, apparently by the building’s occupiers, warned outsiders not to enter the property and said there was at least one person inside at any time.
The Greenwich Wire understands that a Lewisham official told a local meeting on February 13 that an announcement about the future of Catford Mews was expected within weeks. But there have been no further updates about the venue’s future.
A CRPL spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “We have made the council aware of an issue at 32 Winslade Way and are taking the necessary actions to resolve this. CRPL, supported by the council, is keen to bring the unit back to life as soon as possible, and we have been working to identify a new operator who will be able to bring an exciting new space to Catford.”
Last month it was revealed that the cinema owned CRPL £387,000 when it went into liquidation, as well as over £56,000 to staff. However, Really Local Group has said it would like to return to the area and open a new venue.
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Robert Firth is the Local Democracy Reporter for Lewisham. The Local Democracy Reporting Service is a BBC-funded initiative to ensure councils are covered properly in local media. Editing and additional reporting by Darryl Chamberlain.
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