Civic societies in Islington have appealed to a Malaysian developer to end a stand-off with Islington council that has for more than 20 years resulted in a string of boarded up shop fronts on the corner of Islington Green and Essex Road.
The dispute centres on the failure of developers, Berjaya UK Investment and Development, to create a theatre under apartments that have been built in Essex Road. Planning permission was agreed in 2002 for 72 apartments and 600-seat theatre. The original agreement has been modified to a 400-seat theatre with food outlets. The apartments have been built and sold, but the plan for a theatre seems to have been forgotten.
The site of the Victorian Collins Music Hall is below ground. The old entrance is now the Waterstones building. Top acts such as Charlie Chaplin and Benny Hill performed there before it closed in 1958.
The creation of a theatre to replace the Collins theatre was promised by the developer as its community obligation. The council will not allow the sale of the commercial retail units until the theatre is ready to operate.
The civic societies have tried to contact Mr Vincent Tan, who is based in Kiala Lumar, without success. Islington Council has not had any contact with the developer for a number of years.
The civic societies that have signed the letter to Berjaya are: the Angel Association; the Islington Society; the Arlington Association; the Duncan Terrace Association and the Upper Street Association.