Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has expressed his anger at Islington Council’s decision to revoke Fabric’s licence, leading to the club’s closure.
Despite 150,000 people signing a petition in support of the club, Islington Council ordered that Fabric’s licence be revoked because of its “failure to control” drugs being taken on its premises.
Fabric bosses had presented evidence during the seven-hour meeting that many clubbers thought its search policy for drugs was already too severe.
Pure sadness about Fabric. London is being ruined right now.
— Four Tet (@FourTet) September 7, 2016
Khan, who had urged the council and Metropolitan Police to reach “a sensible decision” before last night’s meeting said that Fabric’s closure was emblematic of the number of clubs which have closed in the capital recently.
In a statement, Khan – who went to Fabric himself – said: “London’s iconic clubs are an essential part of our cultural landscape. Clubbing needs to be safe, but I’m disappointed that Fabric, Islington Council and the Metropolitan Police were unable to reach agreement on how to address concerns about public safety.”
The closure of Fabric will mean 250 people will lose their jobs. Khan said: “As a result of this decision, thousands of people who enjoyed going to Fabric as an essential part of London’s nightlife will lose out. The issues faced by Fabric point to a wider problem of how we protect London’s night-time economy, while ensuring it is safe and enjoyable for everyone. Over the past eight years, London has lost 50% of its nightclubs and 40% of its live music venues. This decline must stop if London is to retain its status as a 24-hour city with a world-class nightlife.”
The Mayor recently announced the creation of a new Night Czar to oversee London’s nightlife, and said the closure of Fabric emphasised how important the new post will be. He said: ‘“I’m in the process of appointing a Night Czar who will bring together key stakeholders including club and venue owners, local authorities, the Metropolitan Police and members of the public. No single organisation or public body can solve these problems alone – we all need to work together to ensure London thrives as a 24-hour city, in a way that is safe and enjoyable for everyone.”
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