Petition to save the Prince Charles Cinema signed by over 100,000 people in a day
- Text by Isaac Muk
- Photography by Shaun Waldie / Shutterstock
A petition to Save The Prince Charles Cinema has received over 100,000 signatures in just one day.
The PCC launched the campaign on Tuesday (January 28), saying that its current landlord Zedwell LSQ Ltd, is demanding the insertion of a six-month break clause under the terms of a new lease agreement, which will leave the independent institution “under permanent threat of closure”.
The cinema, which has been open since 1962 and is much-loved for screening rare gems and cult movies, explained in a statement on their website that its lease is due to expire at the end of September 2025.
Though the cinema has the statutory right to renew its licence, the terms will be decided by a court, and on top of the break clause, its landlord is also “a rent far above market rates, at a level which no cinema proprietor would consider reasonable and refusing to supply any information to back this up”.
The statement read: “We are disappointed that our landlords Zedwell LSQ Ltd and their parent company Criterion Capital have demanded the inclusion of a break clause that would require us to vacate the premises at 6 months’ notice, should they receive planning permission to redevelop the building, which we interpret as a clear intention to do so.”
Commenting on the petition, American filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson said: “The Prince Charles has a place in my heart. It’s the people, the programming, the accessibility, feeling, texture... you cannot go wrong. You also know that on any given day, you can close your eyes, press your finger to the programme, and you’ll hit something great. It’s like tuning into your favourite radio station.”
In a statement given to The Guardian, PCC’s landlords, Criterion Capital – the owner of Zedwell LSQ Ltd. – said: “We value Prince Charles Cinema and we work closely with our tenants to help best utilise the properties within our portfolio. We operate within the provisions of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 and categorically deny any attempts to intimidate or disadvantage them.”
To read the full statement and sign the petition yourself, click here.
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