MP supports campaign to bring back old cinema (From Wandsworth Guardian)

Southfields MP supports campaign to bring back old cinema

7:20am Wednesday 16th March 2011 in News By James Trueman

MP Justine Greening has given her full support to a community project that could bring an old cinema back to life.

The Southfields Plaza project on Wimbledon Park Road aims to restore the old Southfields picture house back to its former glory, after the building stopped being used as a pool hall at the end of last year.

After a quick fundraising drive, over £500,000 was raised in less than a week and along with an angel investor agreeing to underwrite the offer, the group put in a bid for the building in December.

They are currently waiting for the outcome of the bidding process, and to help support the plans, Ms Greening posed for photos with members of the Southfields Plaza steering group on March 11 and gave her complete backing to the community-led project.

She said: “I spoke at the residents' meeting when the idea of the Southfields Plaza was launched. It was great to see so many residents keen to have a cinema back in Southfields.

“The Southfields Plaza Steering Group have worked really hard on the business proposal and I think an independent cinema set up by residents would thrive in Southfields.

“I am really looking forward to working with residents as their plans develop and supporting the Southfields Plaza"

For more information about the project, visit southfieldsplaza.co.uk