Last October found Ministry of Sound breathing a sigh of relief after a residential planning application by Oakmayne Properties that the club felt could make its future unsustainable was
rejected by Southwark Council. But in recent weeks, the Save Our Club campaign has been reactivated amid reports that current London Mayor Boris Johnson could seek to overturn the ruling.
A mainstay of the capital’s clubland since it opened in 1991, Ministry has long feared that licensing issues would bring an end to its operations if the 41-storey development was to receive the green light.
Renewed concerns about the venue’s future have prompted public statements of support from several leading political figures, including Ken Livingstone – London’s Mayor between 2000 and 2008, and the man who will again serve as Labour Party candidate for the office in this May’s mayoral election.
In a letter to Ministry of Sound CEO Lohan Presencer published on his website, Livingstone describes MoS as “a great global success story. Its profile is good news for London and its vital music scene. Ministry of Sound is known the world over and helps present a modern and exciting global image of our city, which is vital to attract tourism, business and study in London.”
His sentiments about the importance of Ministry to the capital and, by the extension, the UK as a whole are echoed by one of the club’s most enduring supply associates – Martin Audio. Speaking to PSNE, national sales representative Al Brown remarked that “this unique site is regularly voted [as possessing] ‘Best Club Sound System in the World’ and is the one ‘must visit’ tourist attraction for our overseas distributors when visiting the UK.”
