TfL insists that London venue The Garage won’t be threatened by redevelopment works to Highbury & Islington station

"We want to ensure the future of the Garage by strengthening ties with our local community".

It looks like London music venue The Garage won’t be demolished to make way for a new ticket hall at Highbury & Islington station, after all.

A new statement from TfL today (August 10), read: “Although we are in very early discussions with a third party developer about the possibility of upgrading Highbury & Islington Tube station as part of their wider development, we have been clear that any improvements to the station should not impact The Garage. We will engage with businesses and stakeholders as ideas for any improvements to Highbury & Islington are developed.”

Amid the rumours of his destruction earlier this week,  the Islington Gazette noted that the venue’s management were leading calls for its future to be secured by becoming an asset of community value.

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Their appeal came after the paper gained access to council planning documents which suggested that it could be forced to close as part of the redevelopment of Highbury station.

The Garage’s programmer Matthew Cook told the Gazette: “We believe we’re a site of local importance bringing a vibrant musical culture to Islington.

“With so many of London’s beloved music venues under threat from developers, we want to ensure the future of the Garage by strengthening ties with our local community.”

Since opening in 1993, the intimate venue has secured a reputation for hosting shows from some of the UK’s biggest bands during the early stages of their career.

It also played host to a late night secret show from The Killers in 2013, only hours after they finished playing a sold out show at Wembley Stadium.

A Transport for London (TfL) spokesperson previously said: “We are in early discussions about the possibility of upgrading Highbury and Islington Tube station and will engage with businesses and stakeholders as any plans are developed.”

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