By Mark Wadie
The leaseholders of Brixton’s Club 414 are taking their battle to the High Court to save the venue from closure.
Anthony Pommell, 59, and Louise Barron, 58, are challenging Lambeth Council’s decision to approve the application to convert the premises at 414 to 416 Coldharbour Lane into a retail outlet and flats.
In a statement released by the club they said: “We are shocked and disappointed the application was not put before committee despite over 450 letters of objection and three petitions with over 2,300 signatures.”
Pommell and Barron say they believe that the Council has not adequately followed guidelines laid out in their own Statement of Community Involvement, and the Unitary Development Plan (UDP).
The UDP states that: “Public involvement is a key component of the planning process. If strategies such as the new plan are to reflect the priorities of local people and local businesses, then there needs to be genuine engagement from the outset.”
The 414 has been a fixture of Brixton nightlife for 30 years and currently hosts weekly techno, hard house and psychedelic trance nights on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as 24-hour parties.
A judge at the High Court will review the documentation presented and a date for a hearing is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Lambeth Council said that as legal proceedings are now live it was unable to comment at this stage.
Incredible venue with amazing values. No venue is like it in London full stop. Three decades too. I mean how amazing. Best of luck I really mean it
Give it up, you too old.