Mayor of London to invest thousands into keeping LGBT venues open
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced plans to pour thousands into research on keeping London’s LGBT venues thriving and open.
£10,000 will be invested into a research project which will explore why venues are closing and what can be done to protect them.
Amy Lamé made the announcement in Soho during a Q&A session.
Lamé, who was appointed London’s Night Czar, has run the LGBT club Duckie for the last 21 years in London.
University College London Urban Laboratory will carry out the research into the LGBT spaces across London.
A number of venues have been lost to redevelopment, with the world famous bar Royal Vauxhall Tavern also coming under threat recently.
LGBT venues are not the only spaces under increasing pressure, with many live music venues closing in the recent years.
Lamé said that increasing prices in the capital are playing into the venue closures.
“It’s a difficult one. I think property values in London going through the roof has definitely had an impact, not just queer venues but also live music venues.
“It’s always going to be more profitable in the short term to build luxury flats than it is to pull pints for gay people.
“Developers will build a block of flats next to a vibrant club.
“They’ll be marketing it as the most exciting place to live in London, and then someone moves in and they realise people are making noise outside their window at 3 o’clock in the morning. They complain and then the club is shut down,” she explained.
Lamé added that transforming London into 24/7 city is part of the plan of saving the venues.
“The big overarching goals are turning London, which has a vibrant night-time economy, into a truly 24-hour city. I actually think that is realistic.”
