Grassroots Music Venues In London Stabilize After 10-Year Decline

Following a decade of decline, grassroots music venues in London have stabilized for the first time since 2007. Losing live music venues has been a problem across the U.K., with establishments having to deal with various hurdles such as tougher licensing requirements and incessant noise complaints from new flats built around existing venues. But the London Music Board reports that in 2016, grassroots music venues that operated in the capital stayed at the same number as in the previous year, the first time that’s happened in 10 years.

As noted by The Stage, the London Music Board was set up last year as part of a thrust to rescue grassroots music venues. It has the full support of Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has outlined a strategy that includes requiring new properties developed around existing music venues to be adequately soundproofed. “We’ve taken positive steps to address some of the challenges facing grassroots music venues, but there’s still so much to be done,” the mayor was quoted in The Stage article.

According to the London Music Board report, £91.8 million in revenue is attributed to live music venues. They are also responsible for providing some 2,200 full-time jobs. The report also said that the continued revival of music venues will be part of the next London Plan. In 2007, the number of grassroots music venues in the British capital stood at 144.

A 2015 report from The Guardian said that apart from stricter licensing requirements, another cause of the decline in music venues is that often, its landlords are given an offer to sell the place that would be tough to refuse. Mark Davyd, a venue owner and then head of the Music Venue Trust—a body aimed at preserving grassroots music venues—cited his venue as an example, pointing out that the property’s valuation as a music venue was around £375,000, a figure which soared to £1.2 million if it were turned into flats.

Tagslondon music venues, grassroots music venues, music venues