In a statement shared on social media, MOTH Club criticised the fragmented development plans, arguing that splitting the proposed building into two has allowed the developers to bypass the obligation to include social housing. While supporting the need for more affordable housing, the venue expressed concerns about the adverse impact of these specific plans on the area’s cultural fabric. “Building multi-storey blocks towering over an independent venue like MOTH would have devastating consequences for its future,” they said.

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A post shared by MOTH CLUB (@mothclub)

The latest threat involves two separate applications for residential blocks on Morning Lane, one of which includes balconies overlooking MOTH Club’s smoking area and backing onto its stage wall. The venue’s management warns that these developments could lead to conflicts, including noise complaints from residents, which could endanger the club’s ability to operate.

The venue, renowned for its eclectic programming of live music, comedy nights, and film screenings, has hosted performances from acts such as Lady Gaga, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, IDLES, and Jarvis Cocker. It has also played a significant role in supporting emerging artists and maintaining Hackney’s cultural vibrancy.

This marks the second time in recent months that the MOTH Club has called for public support. Earlier this year, the venue opposed a similar application for flats on Morning Lane, referencing potential threats to its long-term viability. The Music Venue Trust (MVT), a national charity that supports grassroots music spaces, previously described the situation as indicative of broader pressures facing independent venues across the UK.

The MVT recently flagged that 350 grassroots venues are at risk of imminent closure due to rising operational costs, declining revenue, and conflicts stemming from urban development. The trust’s initiatives, including the #OwnOurVenues campaign and The Artist Pledge, aim to secure the future of such spaces.

MOTH Club’s management has urged fans and local residents to oppose the latest applications by signing a petition and contacting Hackney Council, which can be signed here. “We’re calling on everyone to stand with MOTH Club and oppose these plans,” they wrote. At the time of writing, over 1,200 people have signed the petition in support.

The challenges faced by MOTH Club echo similar threats to other venues, such as Studio 338 in Greenwich, which opposed a residential development nearby at the same time as MOTH Club’s original appeal in September. The problem shows no sign as abating as urban redevelopment continues across London, which pits the need for preserving cultural institutions against the ongoing push to meet housing demands.

The Piece Hall have become the first major venue in the UK to offer the option to donate and directly support independent local venues at the point of purchase. This is after the Piece Hall signed a landmark agreement with the Music Venue Trust as well as with promoters Cuffe and Taylor, allowing the venue to give customers the option to donate to the MVT via Ticketmaster.

Groundbreaking deal to support Yorkshire’s independent music venues!

The funding agreement with @musicvenuetrust means that for all 2024 shows at The Piece Hall, fans can add a donation to support grassroots music venues in Calderdale.

Read more ➡️ https://t.co/4oolZyyeTh pic.twitter.com/5f2reLo2Xb

— The Piece Hall (@ThePieceHall) October 3, 2023

Music Venue Trust CEO, Mark Davyd spoke of the groundbreaking agreement via a press release, as he said: “This has been an incredibly challenging year for grassroots music venues, with more than 100 venues forced to close their doors to live music and many more at risk. It is absolutely vital that everyone in the music industry recognises the incredible strain the grassroots sector is under, and so it’s great to see The Piece Hall leading the way with a plan that will really make a genuine difference to other venues in the local area. We are extremely grateful to The Piece Hall and Cuffe and Taylor for coming together to support the whole ecosystem around them – we hope it inspires others to follow.”

Alongside this, earlier this year the Music Venue Trust had also announced a public ownership scheme under the name #SaveOurVenues, in which they have their first acquisition: The Snug in Manchester. The initiative was first announced in May after venues like Nambucca in North London and Sheffield’s Leadmill was under threat of closing, in which Nambucca unfortunately did. The scheme is built to tackle ownership issues and secure long-term futures for grass-roots venues.

These innovations are in response to the Music Venue Trust’s warnings this year that many small music venues in the country were at a knife-edge, as the trust called out for other big players in the music industry to help. Earlier in the year, MVT CEO Mark Davyd said about this: “This is the best year for live music in the UK in terms of gross receipts that there’s ever going to be. It’s not possible to make an argument that this can be accompanied by 100 venues closing down, cutting down access to live music for communities and cutting off the talent pipeline for artists that’ll never get to play.”