Camden's Electric Ballroom, once host to legendary performances from the likes of the Sex Pistols, Oasis and Nick Cave, has escaped closure after a government investigation into proposals to extend a nearby tube station.
The proposals to revamp public transport facilities in Camden would have involved a considerable redevelopment of the area, including the demolition of a building that is home to the Electric Ballroom venue. Once that requirement was revealed numerous musicians and music fans joined protests against the radical proposals, with Bob Geldof and Nick Cave among the artists who urged planning officials to save the venue.
Yesterday those protests seemed to have worked when a government report knocked back the developer's plans, including the demolition of the Electric Ballroom, on the basis that the proposals would have had a "devastating impact" on the character and appearance of the area, would be "detrimental to the viability and vitality of Camden Town" and would have "unfortunate far-reaching social and economic consequences".
Frankly I'm not convinced there is anything about the character and appearance of Camden Town worth preserving, but it's good the Electric Ballroom has been saved because, as Mr Nick Cave said yesterday: "The Electric Ballroom is part of the lifeblood of Camden Town, and long may it remain so."