Lewisham’s only cinema Catford Mews enters liquidation

Lewisham’s only cinema, Catford Mews, officially entered liquidation this week after being forced to close last year.

Really Local Group (Catford Mews) Ltd was placed in liquidation on Wednesday, four months after the building housing the cinema in the Catford Centre was repossessed by Lewisham council.

At the time, the council 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.

Now, RLG has said it is “actively exploring options” to relaunch the cinema at a new space in the area.

In a statement, RLG founder Preston Benson said: “On behalf of the entire Catford Mews team, I’d like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Catford and surrounding Lewisham communities for their unwavering support. 

“While the closure hasn’t been easy, we ultimately respect the Council’s decisions around the Catford Centre.  We still see a positive future, love our home in the borough of Lewisham, and hope to be back there again for years to come.”

In November, Lewisham council said that a number of new tenants were interested in taking over the former Catford Mews site.

A spokesman said: “The council recognises the impact the temporary closure of Catford Mews has had on the community and the concerns raised by residents but also the legal duty of CRPL to be financially responsible.

“Our focus is to work with CRPL, to speed up the reopening of Catford Mews while supporting the businesses and employees affected.” 

Pictured top: Catford Mews, Lewisham’s only cinema was repossessed by the council in October 2024 (Picture: Catford Mews)