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Ministry Of Sound reaches agreement with property developer
By Andy Malt | Published on Wednesday 8 January 2014
The Ministry Of Sound nightclub’s future has been assured, after its owners reached an agreement with property developer Oakmayne over a new block of flats to be built opposite the venue.
As previously reported, Ministry was successful in convincing Southwark Council’s planning department that the 41 storey building would cause problems for its business – predicting complaints from new neighbours about noise. However, London mayor Boris Johnson then agreed to review the decision, saying in May that the two sides should get together and work out a solution themselves.
Apparently a mutually agreeable solution has now been found whereby MOS will not have to reduce its current noise levels. In part, this is down to Oakmayne adapting the design of its building to make it more soundproofed. Everyone happy, Johnson approved the planning application on 19 Dec, with building work due to commence shortly.
In a statement, Ministry Of Sound Group’s chief exec Lohan Presencer said: “We are pleased to have reached an agreement with [Oakmayne’s business partners] Englewood Ltd that safeguards our future while allowing new development in Southwark. This is a significant planning breakthrough for London, setting a precedent for how new housing and existing businesses can live together. We are grateful to the Mayor for his efforts and look forward to welcoming our new neighbours to the area”.
Chris Shaw of chartered surveyor Shaw Corporation, which worked on the tweaks to the new building, said: “We are happy to have reached this landmark agreement with Ministry of Sound Group. It will enable us to deliver much needed housing to London while ensuring the nightclub remains fully protected. This agreement means that both sides can truly co-exist in Southwark. We look forward to working together to achieve this objective”.
Work on the new development is due to be completed in 2017.
