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The fate of a 1930s cinema remains in the balance after plans to turn it into flats were deferred.
The Majestic Cinema in King Street, Gravesend, originally opened in 1931 and has since been known as the ABC, Cannon, MGM and finally EMD.
It screened its last film in 2002 before becoming The United Church of the Kingdom of God, which also closed in 2006.
A fire gutted the auditorium of the old cinema and it was demolished in 2009. All that is left is the front entrance and facade of the building.
The plans, by Lali Enterprises Ltd, would see a nine-storey building for flats built where the auditorium once stood. The front of the cinema would also become six flats with a separate “workhub” on the ground floor.
While this would create 53 flats, none of them would be classified as affordable housing.
At a Gravesham planning committee, councillors voted to have a site visit at the derelict cinema before its next meeting in November, before deciding its fate then.
Cllr Lee Croxton (Lab) represents the Riverside district where the cinema sits and was sympathetic to the applicant. He said: “I am severely concerned about unoccupied brownfield sites.
“What they are doing is a major development slap bang in the middle of town. I think if 53 flats were built there, retail in the town centre would be grateful for the extra footfall.
“What worries me is if we simply turn it down, which is what planning officers are suggesting, it will become another sterile site. It’s right in the town centre which we are truly desperate to regenerate.”
Cllr Samir Jassal (Con) said: “I totally agree with Cllr Croxton, we need to make footfall go up in the town centre.
“Unless you’ve got bodies sleeping in properties around the town centre we aren’t going to encourage people to use those shops, restaurants or pubs.
“There are obviously some issues - there is no affordable housing and maybe something about density, however I think it would be grossly irresponsible to look at this as just accept or refuse.
“I think this warrants a site visit, because it is a flagship site in the town centre and my view is that we would do it a great disservice by just refusing it. We should give it the time it deserves.”
Planning officers had recommended the flats for refusal, claiming the height and scale of the nine-storey building would be too dominant over other buildings nearby, including Grade-II listed buildings such as St George’s Church and the Clock Tower.
Whilst all councillors were keen to do something with the site, some were uncertain this proposal was the answer.
Cllr Elizabeth Mulheran (Lab) was concerned about the height. She said: “I totally understand what others are saying, it needs to be redeveloped but it needs to be lower.
“What I don’t want to do is accept something just to fill a space. It does need to be filled but filled with something that is perfect. At the moment it is overbearing.
“I am also very concerned about the lack of affordable housing.”
Cllr Bob Lane (Con) said: “It’s somewhere that needs to be developed but it’s going to be there for 50 to 100 years and it needs to be perfect.
“I would love to see the building restored in King Street, I just feel that it’s still too high.
“I remember the old cinema and this building is just a little bit overbearing.”
