London club Fabric is to close after the local Islington Council revoked its licence.
Giving its ruling after a seven-hour meeting last night (September 6), Islington Council said: “A culture of drugs exists at the club which management cannot control.”
The club, which opened in 1999, has been given the option to appeal the Council’s decision. Nightclub governing body Night Time Industries’ chairman Alan Miller said an appeal was likely. Miller said: “This is not the last word.”
Pure sadness about Fabric. London is being ruined right now.
— Four Tet (@FourTet) September 7, 2016
The closure will mean the loss of 250 staff jobs, and comes despite 150,000 people signing a petition urging Islington Council to keep Fabric open.
Miller added that a funding appeal, Fight For Fabric, would be started to help raise money to fight the decision.
The ruling comes despite an appeal by new London Mayor Sadiq Khan for council officials and police not to be too censorious about drug use in the capital’s nightlife. Khan had said he wanted “a common-sense solution” to the closure of nightclubs such as Fabric.
Fabric closing is a real blow for the youth of London. An institution!
— nick grimshaw (@grimmers) September 7, 2016
The ruling came about after Fabric voluntarily closed in August, following the deaths of two 18-year-old clubbers from drugs within the space of nine weeks.
During the appeal, Fabric’s owners presented the Council with evidence – including from Trip Advisor reviews – that many clubbers thought Fabric’s drug search door policy was actually too strict.
After the ruling, Four Tet said: “Pure sadness about Fabric. London is being ruined right now.” Nick Grimshaw added: “Fabric closing is a real blow for the youth of London. It’s an institution.”
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/?bctid=60982141001