A major road has been closed in south London over safety fears at the site of a former cinema.
Rye Lane in Peckham is closed to vehicles and pedestrians around the former Tower Cinema building while emergency work is carried out to secure the building with scaffolding.
Residents living nearby have been relocated to hotels, with parts of the area not expected to reopen for up to 10 days, Southwark Council has said.
Buses 36, 136, 171, 436, N89, N136 and N171 have all been re-routed to avoid the area. Peckham Rye station, served by the Windrush line, remains open.
Built in 1914, the Tower Cinema entertained audiences for several decades before closing in 1956.
Most of the 2000-seater venue was converted into a car park, while the archway frontage and 100-foot tower structure were retained.
Southwark Council said it understood the closure would have a ‘serious impact’ on local businesses, with temporary signs and diversions being installed by TfL and traffic marshals being drafted in to assist delivery and service vehicles.
James McAsh, the Green council leader, said the situation was ‘deeply disruptive’ for both residents and visitors.
He said: ‘I want to thank people for their patience and understanding while urgent work is carried out to make the former cinema site safe.
‘Our immediate priority is public safety. We are working at pace with structural engineers, Building Control, Highways, TfL and contractors to stabilise the site.
‘An emergency supporting scaffold solution has been installed and contractors are working throughout the weekend to continue the work.
‘We have already arranged hotel accommodation and support for residents who have had to leave their homes, and we will continue to work with them, landlords and insurers so that people are not left without help while it remains unsafe to return.
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‘Residents are also being supported to collect essential belongings from their homes where it is safe to do so.’
Mr McAsh, who took charge of the council in May, added: ‘I appreciate how disruptive this is, particularly with bus routes diverted and pedestrian access affected.
‘TfL is updating journey information and signage, and we are putting clear diversion information in place so people can move around the area safely. Please continue to follow the signed routes and do not enter the exclusion zone or attempt to pass through barriers.
‘This is a fast-moving situation, but our focus is clear: keeping people safe, supporting those directly affected, helping businesses through the disruption, and reopening Rye Lane as soon as it is safe to do so. We will continue to provide updates as work progresses.’
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