Hackney Council responds to Dance Tunnel closure

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  • The council says it needs to "balance the needs of businesses against the rights of our residents to a good night's sleep."
  • Hackney Council responds to Dance Tunnel closure image
  • Hackney Council has released a statement following yesterday's announcement that Dance Tunnel is closing in August due to the area's "licensing climate." After announcing its closure yesterday, today the club released a second statement that said it would "regroup and look further afield to find a space where we are subject to fewer compromises," adding that the future of Dance Tunnel "lies elsewhere." The news sparked a couple of petitions, including one from Martin Clark (AKA Blackdown) asking Hackney Council to re-review the legislation surrounding closing times. Now the council has responded with a statement of its own. "Dance Tunnel has a premises licence to operate until 3 AM," the council says. "They have not applied to extend their opening hours for over two years. They have however been able to regularly operate until 5 AM using Temporary Event Notices." It continues: "Hackney Council values its vibrant and exciting nightlife, and we are proud of the borough's reputation as a night-time destination. However, we need to balance the needs of businesses against the rights of our residents to a good night's sleep, and as both our population and night time economy grow, that is becoming increasingly hard to do. "In February we organised a meeting in Shoreditch with residents and business owners, to hear their opinions about how we can strike the right balance. We'll be arranging other opportunities for people to have their say over the coming months, and this will feed into our licensing strategy." Hackney Council is due to redraw its licensing system this year after withdrawing its controversial 2015 proposal following opposition from nightclub owners in East London. Photo credit: Hackney Council
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