Hackney Council has released a statement in response to Dance Tunnel’s announcement yesterday that it would close its doors for good in August due to the licensing regulations in the area.
As Resident Advisor reports, the council said: "Dance Tunnel has a premises licence to operate until 3 AM. 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.
"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 faced pressure last year after licensing proposals suggested that they would not grant licenses to any further venues in the area. The council will soon redraw its licensing system in light of the controversy. Meanwhile, Dance Tunnel today responded to a petition set up in support of the club saying that it is planning to "regroup and look further afield to find a space where we are subject to fewer compromises."
