Islington Green is a beautiful part of London and has relatively little connection with Cardiff – with the obvious exception of a group of people very frustrated by the actions of a company founded by Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan.
In 2012, the subsidiary of Berjaya – a company founded by Tan and spent time as executive chairman – bought a sizeable site in the green corner. A look back over the years shows planning permission for an impressive transformation of the site into a theater set within a block of flats with retail units running the length of the ground floor.
In these images, the entrance is framed by two large green columns, fluorescent lighting and posters next to and above a wide walkway. Now a visit to the site – known as the Collins Theater – shows a few shuttered storefronts and not much else. The apartments are occupied, but the grand entrance is blocked by a plain gray sheet.
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The shell of a theater is out there somewhere, but there has been no real movement to use it in almost five years. Now residents are calling for it to end – or at least for the six empty retail units to be put to use for the community. For the latest Wales news delivered to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter.
The site is owned by Berjaya UK Investment and Development, a subsidiary of Vincent Tan founded Berjaya Corporation. Tan stepped down as executive chairman of Berjaya Corporation but, according to local media, “would still be very involved with the group and its business activities”. His son U-Peng Tan is listed at Companies House as an active director of the UK Investment and Development branch responsible for the development of Islington.
Eric Sorensen, president of the local Civil Society Angels Association, told WalesOnline: “This is quite a prominent part of Angel town centre. These shops have never opened and they have been boarded up for quite a long time. They look ugly and do nothing to enliven the town centre. the city or to make it a good and happy place.
“We want them put to use one way or another, even with interim or temporary uses—whatever it takes to get rid of this eyesore. Tell the truth that the only thing we’re crying for is another theater.
“However that space could be used for many community-based and commercial activities. All we want is to get it right – especially the shop units that we see every day open and in use.”
Sorensen said the Angel Society was “never” sure the theater would be equipped, the basement would be used and the stores would be opened. A council spokesman said they were sympathetic to residents’ concerns but were unable to compel Berjaya to fill the space.
A document submitted on behalf of Berjaya in a 2018 planning appeal details the history of the site. Planning permission was first granted in 2002 for its development by then owners Fairbriar. It included a 600-seat theater, 72 apartments and 950 m2 of retail space. The flats were completed and occupied with the shell of the theater built but never opened.
A section 106 agreement clause at the time prevented more than 85% of the apartments from being occupied before the theater was in use, but due to “complications” in its opening, developers were allowed to occupy all units without was opened. At the time, the theater equipment was estimated at a cost of £2.17 million. Support award-winning journalism with the WalesOnline Premium app on Apple or Android.
Berjaya UK Investment and Development bought the site in 2012. In 2013 it submitted a non-material variation to allow the site to be used as a theatre, but later withdrew this. In 2015, Berjaya submitted another application to adapt the space for a theater operator to take over, including the addition of two smaller theater spaces, and this was approved in 2016, but, the document says, discussions with an operator ” were never realized”. and the application was never implemented.
In April 2018, Berjaya lodged an application to reduce the size of the theater from 600 to 514 seats, use the basement space for commercial units and increase the range of uses for the ground floor units. This was delayed for several months due to a dispute over a revised Section 106 agreement, and Berjaya filed an appeal for non-determination. She withdrew this appeal in 2019 after lengthy discussions.
Since then the theater and retail units have remained empty and the building – apart from the flats – is a shell. In 2023 members of five Islington-based civic societies wrote to Vincent Tan asking him to seek an agreement with the council on the future of the theater and said: “Islington Green is a beautiful, much-loved and central to our borough… The people of Islington have to live with this ugly sight at the heart of our community, with seemingly no solution in sight.”
A spokesman for Islington Council said: “We are sympathetic to the views of local residents and share their concerns about the retail units and the empty theatre. We have made extensive efforts to encourage the owner to work with an operator to fill the space and retail units but without success and we are unable to compel the owner to do so.” Berjaya has been contacted for comment.