Brixton Academy’s future to be determined next month
A licence hearing to determine the future of Brixton Academy has been confirmed for next month.
The 5,000-cap Academy Music Group (AMG) had its premises licence suspended for three months after the events of 15 December 2022, when two people died in a crush at a show by singer/songwriter Asake.
Since then, the Metropolitan Police claimed to have “lost confidence” in the safety of the venue and back in April made a push for the location to close its doors for good.
The Licensing Review Hearing will take place on 11 and 12 September at Lambeth Town Hall, and will decide the immediate future of the venue.
In a statement, the Night Time Industries Association & Save Our Scene said: “This is a critical moment for the venue as it will determine its future, and will require as much support as possible throughout this hearing.”
“This is a critical moment for the venue and will require as much support as possible throughout this hearing”
Earlier this year, numerous artists and industry professionals spoke out against the potential permanent closure of the O2 Academy Brixton. A fresh campaign to save the academy was then launched in May by NTIA.
Since the closure of the venue, AMG has reportedly submitted proposals to Lambeth Council to install a speaker system around the Grade-II listed building. The speaker system would let staff make safety announcements to customers outside of the venue to assist with crowd control, according to plans.
The venue operator has also submitted separate plans to Lambeth Council to replace eight basement fire doors below the stage in the venue.
It previously said that it has “co-operated fully” with both the police and the council since the tragedy took place.
“We have had regular meetings and discussions with the Metropolitan Police and Lambeth Council at which we have presented detailed proposals that we believe will enable the venue to reopen safely,” it says. “AMG has been awaiting feedback on those proposals for several weeks and looks forward to hearing from the police as soon as possible in constructive terms.”
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NTIA launches campaign to save Brixton Academy
The UK’s Night-Time Industries Association (NTIA) has launched a campaign to save O2 Academy Brixton from closure.
The future of the 5,000-cap Academy Music Group (AMG) venue is under threat after police applied to Lambeth Council seeking the revocation of the venue’s licence, having “lost confidence in the premises licence holder” following the events of 15 December 2022, when two people died in a crush at a show by singer/songwriter Asake.
An online petition launched to save the London venue by concert-goer Stuart O’Brien has attracted almost 100,000 signatures, and the NTIA is now urging people to show the importance of the Academy by submitting representations of support to the council by midnight on Monday 15 May.
It has formulated a letter for representation on its system for supporters to sign and submit to the authority.
“Without this venue in London, we would see a huge void in our cultural economy, a considerable gap in touring capability, loss of jobs and one less platform for headline domestic and international artists to perform, losing out to our international counterparts,” reads the letter.
“The potential impact of this closure would have huge ramification within the local economy”
“This venue is a huge talent bed for new artists, and for many performing within this space, it has been a turning point within their career, with many artists today citing this space as one of their pinnacle career moments.
“The potential impact of this closure would have huge ramification within the local economy, recent research has shown that we are already seeing an estimated 1/2 million pounds worth of lost revenue being suffered by local businesses every week since its temporary closure, with some unable to weather the suspension period.”
It continues: “I have not lost sight of the tragic incident that occurred in December , but would respectfully ask you to consider working with AMG and the venue to learn from what has happened and enhance the licence to ensure that this could never happens again.
“At this moment I would urge all involved to step forward and engage in productive and meaningful discussions, with an aim to resolve the current challenges and present a unified position on delivering the safe and effective management of this space in the future.”
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Police want O2 Academy Brixton licence revoked
O2 Academy Brixton faces the threat of having its licence revoked following an application from the Metropolitan Police.
The Academy Music Group (AMG) venue had its premises licence suspended in the wake of the tragedy at a sold-out, 5,000-cap show by Afrobeats singer/songwriter Asake on 15 December 2022, which was abandoned following reports that “a large number of people breached the entrance doors and gained entry to the venue”.
Two people – concert attendee Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, and security operative Gaby Hutchinson, 23, both suffered fatal injuries in the incident, while a third person was left in a critical condition.
In its submission to Lambeth Council, the Met says it has “lost confidence in the premises licence holder”.
“On Monday 16 January, the licence of the Brixton O2 Academy was suspended for three months,” says a police statement. “On 14 April, the Met Police submitted an application for a review of premises licence to Lambeth Council and will be seeking a revocation of the licence. This matter will be decided at a future council sub-committee hearing on a date to be confirmed.”
A spokesperson for Lambeth Council, which has initiated an independent health and safety review of the venue led by former council chief Paul Martin, confirms it has received applications from both the police and the Academy for a licence review and variation, respectively.
“There are currently there are two outstanding applications in relation to the venue, the licence variation and the licence review”
“In January the sub-committee imposed a condition requiring the venue to cease all licensable activities pending it submitting a variation application – and the council granting that application,” the spokesperson tells the Standard. “The operators of the O2 Academy Brixton were required at that last meeting to come up with workable changes to their licence in a way that fully addresses police concerns about the venue’s operations, and ensure no repeat of the tragic events of 15 December, via that variation application.
“The variation application has been made, and will be considered at a licensing sub-committee on a date that will be confirmed shortly. The O2 Academy Brixton will not be able to carry out any licensable activities until after that meeting at the earliest.
“On April 14 an application to review the O2 Academy Brixton’s licence was submitted by the Met Police. That application is now subject to a statutory consultation period. As a result there are currently there are two outstanding applications in relation to the venue, the licence variation and the licence review. Lambeth Council will consider both in due course.”
AMG says that it has “co-operated fully” with both the police and the council since the tragedy took place.
“We have had regular meetings and discussions with the Metropolitan Police and Lambeth Council at which we have presented detailed proposals that we believe will enable the venue to reopen safely,” it says. “AMG has been awaiting feedback on those proposals for several weeks and looks forward to hearing from the police as soon as possible in constructive terms. The review of our licence will take place through the formal process with Lambeth Council in due course.”
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Health and safety review for O2 Academy Brixton
Lambeth Council is to undertake a thorough health and safety review of O2 Academy Brixton following the deadly crowd crush at the venue last December.
The Academy Music Group venue had its premises licence suspended by the council following the show by Afrobeats singer/songwriter Asake, which was abandoned following reports that a large number of people were attempting to force entry. Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, and 23-year-old Gaby Hutchinson both suffered fatal injuries in the incident, while a third person was left in a critical condition.
The authority has appointed former council chief Paul Martin to independently lead its investigation, and is also reviewing licensable activities at the 4,921-cap venue. A separate criminal investigation is also being carried out by the Metropolitan police to examine the events of the night and surrounding issues.
“We are very mindful of the profound impact this incident has had on many people who were present at the O2 Academy on that night and on the family and loved ones of the two people who tragically lost their lives that evening, and the person that remains in a critical condition,” says Lambeth Council CEO Bayo Dosunmu.
“We are acutely aware of our fundamental health and safety responsibility, and that this consideration overrides all others”
“In order that Lambeth Council rigorously and independently investigates what happened on that evening, I have asked one of London’s most experienced former chief executives to lead on the health and safety investigation on behalf of the council, working closely with the Metropolitan police. My commitment is to ensure that this is investigated thoroughly.”
Following an initial 28-day temporary closure of the Academy in the wake of the 15 December 2022 tragedy, Lambeth Council suspended the venue’s licence for an additional three months until 16 April 2023, leading a number of shows to be moved to other London venues.
“I appreciate that the O2 Academy Brixton is an iconic and much loved venue, and the impact of the current closure will be felt keenly by many people in Brixton and further afield,” adds Dosunmu. “However, we are acutely aware of our fundamental health and safety responsibility, and that this consideration overrides all others.
“We will provide updates on the situation as this develops.”
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War of words over more concerts on Clapham Common
Two London councils are at war over plans to hold more concerts and large-scale live events on Clapham Common.
Although the 220-acre park is managed and maintained solely by Lambeth Council, half of it lies in neighbouring Wandsworth, and the latter council has voiced “serious concerns” over a new events strategy by Lambeth that paves the way for the borough to hold up to eight shows a year on Clapham Common, as well as eight each in four other ‘event zones’ (Streatham, North Lambeth, Brixton and Norwood).
The council has also greenlit an increase in maximum sound levels on the common and three other parks. The new music noise level (MNL) will be 75dB L(A), with a maximum low-frequency music noise level (LFMNL) of 90 dB L(C).
Wandsworth Council’s environment spokesman, Councillor Jonathan Cook, has criticised Lambeth for “burying” the recommendations “some 300 pages into a 520-page” report and says more “noisy music festivals and other loud events” will negatively affect those living near the common.
“Instead of trying to conceal the level of opposition that exists to these proposals and trying to sneak them through without the public’s knowledge, Lambeth actually needs to sit down and engage much more closely with residents who live near the common,” says Cllr Cook.
Wandsworth councillor Jonathan Cook says more “noisy music festivals and other loud events” will negatively affect those living near the common
“It would simply not be acceptable for changes as drastic as these to be made to Clapham Common without much greater and proper consultation with those most directly affected by any relaxation in the noise rules.”
However, a spokesman for Lambeth Council says the events plan was drawn up after “extensive consultation”, including with Wandsworth, “who were consulted as part of the Culture 2020 consultation and were engaged as part of the separate noise consultation in February this year – and responded”.
“It’s also been on the [public] forward plan since November last year, so to claim these proposals have ‘just emerged’ is absurd,” she tells the Evening Standard, adding that “the recommendations are not ‘buried’: the cabinet report is 19 pages, not 520 pages as the press release says, and the noise limit will be increased only from 70dB to 75Db, and for a maximum of eight days per year”.
Clapham Common is currently home to ’80s festival Let’s Rock London, held last weekend, and Lock N Load Events’ House of Common and South West Four in August. It was also the home of Live Nation’s apparently defunct Calling Festival, previously held in Hyde Park.
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