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Nightclub fears are unfounded
• YOUR article states that Urdang Academy plans to turn the beautiful Finsbury Town Hall into some kind of nightclub (Town hall dance studio’s ‘bid to become nightclub’, April 13).
Urdang can assure readers that this will not happen. This would risk wrecking all the restoration work Urdang has done already, with no public funding whatsoever, to put this Grade II*-listed gem back into use.
We have been talking to Islington Council and made partnerships with local groups, including EC1 New Deal, all of which are excited about Urdang re-opening the Town Hall to the public again.
Homes for Islington, will soon hold its residents’ meetings at Finsbury Town Hall, for instance, as Islington Council planning department already does. Urdang has held two free open days and looks forward to being part of this year’s Clerkenwell Festival. This occasion will be an opportunity to see the Great Hall and council chamber and pick up information on the building’s history as well as to find out about the classes, courses, dances or meetings you could take part in.
Sharon Hayward comments that “Urdang Academy has an obligation to contribute to the community” and I can confirm that, during our first three months at Finsbury Town Hall, we have already achieved more than planned and this is partially due to the positive response from the neighbourhood.
As part of our commitment to our partnership with the council, Urdang has ensured the Great Hall and the council chamber are open again to the public and available for hire by groups, charities and individuals.
Local people are already booking wedding celebrations and events in the hall and have an expectation of a bar until 2am. The evening functions will only happen at the front of the building, using the main front entrance. This is located on busy Rosebery Avenue.
Unfortunately, because of the uncertainty now of getting a licence, many youth groups’ performances, salsa and folk dance events (of which most attendees are Islington residents) may lose out this month as they have to be cancelled.
A barn dance due to be held in May has had to move to another venue, due to the licensing objections received by Islington Council.
We have not had a single complaint about noise or rowdy behaviour as the dances are purely social events and have been closely monitored for noise levels, which have remained well below the council acoustic criteria.
SOLANGE GOUMAIN
Managing director, Urdang Academy |
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