Hackney Council rejects plans for new late-night venue on former Cargo site
The Shoreditch nightclub was shuttered by police in 2021 after a string of "violent incidents"
Hackney Council has rejected plans for a new late-night venue on the site of former nightclub Cargo over fears it would lead to a "spike in crime."
According to The Hackney Citizen, Shmail Khan - who owned and operated Cargo before its closure in 2021 - was met with fierce opposition to his application for a 'late-night bar' on the site — with over 100 residents raising objections due to the "dreadful impact" the proposed space would have on the local area.
Cargo was ordered to close in December 2021 after police claimed the venue had "failed" to tackle crime and violence; The Met reported that in August 2021, shortly after nightlife spaces were able to reopen following lockdown, the venue was at the centre of "there were 20 thefts and eight violent incidents."
Read this next: Met Police oppose opening of jazz bar over claims it could "add to crime, disorder and public nuisance"
Police joined local residents in opposing the plans, reportedly labelling Khan as "incompetent" and a "reckless operator who cannot be trusted", believing the new venue would “revert completely back to Cargo."
According to The Standard, Khan's solicitors had insisted the 500-capacity venue "would not be a nightclub" and the Met's comments were "defamatory."
In council reports seen by The Standard, the licensing committee said opposition from local residents was "compelling" and “nothing the applicant and their legal representative said gave them confidence” that Khan's new venue would work to prevent crime and violence in the area. The Met claimed that since Cargo had closed, crime has "significantly" reduced in Shoreditch.
Read this next: East London's Starlane Pizza Bar secures 24-hour license
Following the removal of Cargo's license, Khan opened restaurant and bar Viaduct – however, The Standard reports that it was ordered to close in 2023 after a violent incident outside the venue where a man was left with a fractured skull and jaw.
Police said since the closure, crime had fallen “significantly” in the area, and shared their concerns a new venue under Mr Khan’s stewardship would “revert completely back to Cargo”.
[Via: The Standard]
Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter