London Mayoral Candidate Sadiq Khan Wants to Save the City's Clubs and Nightlife

The London mayoral election will be held next month and Sadiq Khan, the Labour candidate, has spoken in favor of an increasingly pressing issue: saving and preserving the city's night and club culture.

After the announcement of the London club Dance Tunnel, Khan, who was interviewed by Dazed magazine, had this to say: "I don't want young and creative Londoners abandoning our city to head to Amsterdam, to Berlin, to Prague where clubs are supported and allowed to flourish. I want them to be able to celebrate what they love in the city that they love, rather than punish them or force their activities underground or abroad." He adds: "Too many bars and clubs have been forced to close because they can't afford to soundproof their premises once new residential developments have been built nearby."

Dance Tunnel had opened in 2012, and its loss has been publicly lamented by Four Tet and Disclosure among others.

"A third of London's small music venues have closed since 2007, damaging our city's cultural offering and having a negative effect on jobs and the economy," Khan continued. "I will make it more difficult for redevelopment to result in the closure of heritage and cultural venues by strengthening the London Plan. I want London to be a 24-hour-city so I will make the night tube a priority. We can save London's iconic club scene, which draws thousands of visitors to the capital, generates jobs and helps ensure our city remains prosperous, vibrant and dynamic."

In addition to supporting 24-hour transport, Khan advocated for referring the costs of soundproofing from the venues to the developers.

The first steps toward securing London's nightlife went into effect last week, when legislation passed requiring developers to acknowledge the existence of clubs when seeking permits in neighborhoods they wish to build residencies. London's current mayor, Boris Johnson, is also seeking to appoint a "night-time commissioner" to the city, who would act on behalf on clubs and bars rights.

[H/t: Resident Advisor]