London’s MOTH Club faces renewed threat from second planning application for flats
A second planning development could put the venue at “serious risk”
By Nick Reilly
London’s celebrated venue MOTH Club has come under renewed threat, after a second wave of planning applications for flats was published.
The vHackney enue, a former servicemen’s club, programmes live music, comedy, film nights and has previously played host to secret shows from the likes of Lady Gaga and Dave Grohl.
Months after the venue operators revealed that a proposed development posed a “serious threat” to its future, they have now said that Hackney Council has been presented with two more proposals.
The update states that one development plans to build a block of flats on Morning Lane – with one block including “balconies directly overlooking MOTH’s smoking area and back onto the stage wall”.
“Both developments, if approved, put one of London’s most loved independent grassroots venues at serious risk, as well as impacting the identity of the local area,” they wrote, before explaining that the development’s close proximity to the venue would result in “conflicts, noise complaints, and a serious threat to the venue’s ability to operate”.
Alongside sketches of the proposal, a caption stated: “These proposals have been deliberately split into two applications to avoid the obligation to include social housing. While we fully support the need for more social and council housing, building multi-storey blocks towering over an independent venue like MOTH would have devastating consequences for its future.”
“We’re calling on everyone to stand with MOTH Club and oppose these plans,” they added. “Please sign and share the petition to help protect MOTH Club and the local community for future generations.”
Last year, the Music Venue Trust warned that the UK was set to lose 10 per cent of its independent venues by the end of 2023. The charity previously kickstarted a campaign called #OwnOurVenues and now owns The Snug in Greater Manchester and The Ferret in Preston.
This year also saw the launch of a new scheme called ‘The Artist Pledge’, which aims to encourage arena-level acts to give back to the grassroots. Coldplay have confirmed that 10 percent of all proceeds from their UK stadium shows next summer will go towards the MVT, while both Sam Fender and Katy Perry have both pledged that £1 from each ticket sold for their upcoming UK arena tours will go towards the Trust.