I could not agree more with Tony Burton of the Mitcham Cricket Green Community & Heritage, the future for Mitcham is indeed rosy.

Tony rightly identifies the importance that a new cinema would have on Mitcham.  Over two years ago the Wimbledon Guardian publicised the campaign I and other Mitcham councillors started, to attract a cinema developer to meet this need in our town centre.  That campaign is now near to realising this aim.  I am hopeful that shortly a developer will be announced who wishes to bring a cinema to Mitcham. It will then be up to the community to join our campaign to help any such developer to deliver such a scheme.

The renaissance of Mitcham started in 2008, when after years of campaigning, our local MP Siobhain McDonagh won the battle with Network Rail to build a rail station in Mitcham and Mitcham Eastfields opened.  That year 300,000 people used the station while in 2014/5 according to the rail regulator this figure has risen to 861,998 users.

This reflects the rise in people moving to Mitcham.  A cinema on Sibthorp Road site in the middle of our town centre would drive further to re-birth of Mitcham and lead to the progress we all want.

Peter Walker

Councillor

Figges Marsh Ward