‘Don’t stop the music:’ Ministry of Sound makes emotional plea to London Mayor
Just two weeks ahead of a housing development hearing that could seal the fate of Ministry of Sound, the club has made an emotional plea for Boris Johnson to honor his word and protect its Gaunt Street location from the threat of closure. Through an open letter to the mayor featured in today’s edition of the London Evening Standard, the club asked Johnson to consider its 200 staff and 300,000 annual visitors whilst considering whether to allow property developers Oakmayne to proceed and threaten the existence 22-year-old nightspot. Having gained a huge amount of support through their ongoing Save Our Club petition, the club is now seeking a legally binding guarantee from the lord mayor to safeguard the renowned London club and its proven value to the city’s tourism.
Lohan Presencer, chief executive of Ministry of Sound Group, told the Standard of the logical measures offered by the club to protect it from crippling noise violations should the development be built. He explained: “The legal agreement guarantees that everything that is being promised, such as [the development’s] acoustically sealed windows, is not reneged on at a later date. The second thing we want is a legal mechanism put in place to ensure the current noise levels will be able to lawfully continue as they are.”
The open letter comes as a last ditch effort from the club, who has been fighting the development since 2009 when plans to construct 41-story residential block just 10 metres from the club were first announced. In 2011, a local planning committee rejected the proposal unanimously, but Lord Mayor Boris Johnson called the proposal back in for mayoral review that December. After being deferred for further negotiations this February, the final decision as to the Eileen House development will be made on November 19th. With previous redevelopments causing London’s dance-orientated nightlife to look more sparse than ever before, the Mayor’s decision holds considerable weight for the city and it’s once notorious club circuit. For more information and to sign the ‘Save Our Club’ petition, visit Ministry of Sound’s official website here.
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