The EMD Cinema redevelopment on Hoe Street may be given planning permission at a Waltham Forest Council meeting tonight.

Members of the planning sub-committee will meet virtually tonight at 7pm in a meeting that the public can watch on YouTube.

The project has a total budget of £25 million to transform the Grade II-listed building into a theatre.

Reconstruction costs rose by £5 million after asbestos and other issues were found within the disused property.

Read more: Photos show ruined inside of EMD cinema

A report prepared for the meeting states that the Victoria Pub, an LGBTQ+ venue which has continued to operate on the site, will return “to its former use as the theatre’s restaurant and tearoom”.

Despite previous reports that the pub would be found a new home in the finished complex, no mention of this is made in the report.

The report reads: “The loss of an important venue for the LGBTQ+ community is unfortunate; however, Soho Theatre has a diverse entertainment programs including shows on LGBTQ culture past and present together with other topics such as culture, race and gender.

“As such whilst it’s noted that Victoria Pub would be lost, the venue would continue to be a fully inclusive and welcoming for all members of the local community and visitors to the area.

“As such it is considered that the impact of the proposal on the loss of LGBTQ community space would be proportionally balanced against the social benefits of the development proposals.”

Neither Waltham Forest Council or the team behind the Victoria Pub have yet responded to questions about the future of the pub.

The meeting will be livestreamed on Youtube here.

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