Plans for student block housing in redevelopment of Bethnal Green’s historic Genesis Cinema unanimously refused

Tower Hamlets Council has unanimously refused plans to rebuild a 1930s cinema in Bethnal Green and add a 291-room student accommodation block to the site.

Councillors voted to support a recommendation from planning officers to refuse the redevelopment of the Genesis Cinema at a planning committee meeting last week.

Developer Valor Genesis was looking to downsize the historic Art Deco cinema from five to four screens and reduce its total seating capacity by more than half, from 946 seats to 447 seats, in plans designed by NBDA.

The plans for the adjoining eight-storey student accommodation building, which would have been built towards the back of the site, were designed by architects Falconer Chester Hall.

The cinema itself has suffered from a decline in attendance in recent years and is now at risk of closure due to a number of factors which have threatened its viability, including the pandemic and the rise of streaming services.

The project team behind the redevelopment of the site warned in planning documents for the scheme that a “major change is now required if the cinema is to survive”.

But Tower Hamlets council said the proposals fail to meet key policy requirements due to its lack of any affordable student accommodation space and the loss of the existing building, which is unlisted but considered a non-designated local heritage asset.

Planning officers said the scheme does not meet Tower Hamlets’ local plan policy requiring some provision of affordable units in student accommodation schemes and a nomination agreement for students of one or more higher education provider. 

A viability assessment carried out by the developer which concluded delivering affordable student rooms was not possible has been reviewed by the council, which found the scheme “does in fact result in a surplus which could be utilised for an element of affordable accommodation”.

The surplus calculated by the council’s financial viability team ranged from £1.17m to £7.1m across three scenarios, with one providing 51% affordable student accommodation at 80% market rates.

The council said it had attempted to reach an agreement with the cinema during application talks but “no such resolution has occurred”, and the applicant “remains in disagreement” with the council’s position.

Demolition of the building would result in “the loss of an important cultural venue with extensive cinematic and entertainment heritage,” planning officers said, adding that the proposed redevelopment “fails to represent a high quality or contextual design”.

Valor Genesis said it had considered several options to retain the existing building but found “no viable retention scenario”, concluding that the only way to retain the cinema function on site is through ”comprehensive redevelopment”.

The Genesis Cinema has been contacted for comment.