Safety Concerns Halt Plans for 2,000-Capacity Club in East London

In a blow to East London’s electronic music scene, the local council has quashed plans for a 2,000-capacity nightclub. LDN Riverside, an events company with an already thriving venue called LDN East, applied for a premises license to host electronic events every weekend but was rejected due to “safety fears.” 

The company had proposed to create a vibrant entertainment hub to “complement the exciting influx of commercial, domestic and transportation development in the area,” as per council documents. 

LDN Riverside had previously expressed interest in contributing to Barking’s regeneration by creating jobs and contributing to the local economy. 

But authority bodies, including the police and various businesses, opposed the application citing safety concerns about the proposed location.

They highlighted potential issues stemming from the overlap of operational hours with other businesses, as many operate late at night. 

During a licensing sub-committee meeting, East Area Licensing Team’s PC Owen Dunn said that the safety concerns “cannot be ignored.” “We have different authority teams and current working companies from the borough who have concerns with this application,” he continued. 

“This highlights that there’s nothing personal from a police point of view against the company. It just shows that everyone who has provided a representation has a genuine concern that this site is not suitable.”

Despite LDN Riverside solicitor Mr. Sutherland highlighting successful cases of safe music spaces in similar areas, the council remained unconvinced.