Catford Mews: MP leading campaign to reopen Lewisham’s only cinema
Lewisham East MP Janet Daby is leading the campaign to reopen Lewisham’s only cinema, which was forced to close last year.
Catford Mews, which sits within Catford Centre, was repossessed by Lewisham council on October 29.
MP Daby said: “The community has deeply felt the loss of Catford Mews.
“My family and I loved to go there with friends and family, and we all miss its presence at the heart of Catford.
“We would all like it up and running again.”
In a statement, the local authority said the Really Local Group (RLG), the operators of Catford Mews, had run up more than £650,000 in arrears since 2019.
Lewisham council said the building’s owner, the Catford Regeneration Partnership Limited (CRPL), which is wholly owned by the council, could not sustain “this level of financial burden”.
But the move sparked a bitter row, with RLG accusing the council of a “destructive” path by throwing “impossible” terms in a challenging environment.
MP Daby said: “We need an operator who respects and understands the value of community, supports our local economy and provides well-paid jobs.
“I have made it clear that the new Catford Mews must deliver more than just a cinema—it must be a thriving cultural and social space, offering a welcoming café, eateries, a bar and a venue for community events and activities.”
Lewisham council has received several bids from potential operators and is in the process of reviewing them. A decision is expected “imminently”, a spokesman said.
MP Daby said: “The people of Catford have made their voices heard loud and clear. This space meant so much to so many, and I am determined to see it not just restored but improved.”
Regular updates will be provided via the council’s social media channels and website.
Pictured top: Lewisham East MP Janet Daby outside the former site of Catford Mews (Picture: Janet Daby)
Catford Mews was one of the busiest cinemas I have ever been to. This was because, not only was it a cinema, but it was a community space. Mothers and baby groups were often found in the communal section near the bar on the deep seated comfy sofas, or seated around the circular tables. Elderly people sat there too, kids after school, groups of friends, couples. The management were kind. It was run, in a way, a bit like a public library, except you could be a bit louder. Not long after the Mews opened a new public library opened next door. However the small and slightly sterile space, though good for using the computer or getting a book out, it did not have the comfort the Mews did. With the low lighting, comfy sofas and acoustic management, it was cosy.
If you didn’t have somewhere to go on a weekday afternoon, Catford Mews was the place you could sit and be in public. There was a café and food stalls in the venue all of which have had to shut down. Just inside, there were tables where people could work on their laptop. They often had events from comedy to showing the football to craft markets. I went there quite a lot both to the cinema or to do work on my laptop. I travel through Catford on Fridays to a school I work in, so I sometimes went on the way or sometimes went to see a film on the way home. In fact its where I would be now instead of at home if it were still open, that’s why I am thinking about it. It was the sort of place you could go to see a film on your own and no-one would bat an eyelid. In fact, when I went to see the Zone of Interest on my own, I noticed there were several other lone cinema goers during an early evening screening.
The Really Local Group did not receive the support they deserved during the pandemic. This is not fair on them or the community they supported and created through the cinema.
As it is, I now have to travel to Peckham Plex. This is fine. I like that cinema too but its 45mins travel. For the meantime, I watch films on my laptop at home. My eyes squinting because the screen is not big enough.