The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has called on the UK government to do more to protect culturally significant nightlife venues, including nightclubs, grassroots music venues and LGBTQ+ spaces, after the government responded to a House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee report on built heritage protection.
The Committee’s inquiry, which drew on evidence from NTIA chief executive Michael Kill, had recommended new processes to identify and protect culturally and socially significant buildings alongside those valued for architectural reasons. It also proposed a “reuse first” approach and a dedicated scheme to return vacant historic buildings to residential use. According to the Committee, the government rejected prioritizing reuse over new construction and ruled out a specific heritage-to-housing scheme.
NTIA argues that protecting a venue’s exterior is not enough to preserve the music, performance traditions, community knowledge and collective memory tied to a space, and is calling for planning protections, accessible funding for independent operators, and mechanisms for communities to document and sustain intangible heritage. Kill said the government’s response fell short of the action needed and called for clear commitments, named responsibility and a delivery timetable, adding that new housing developments near existing venues should take responsibility for managing impacts such as sound insulation.
Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Nikki McNeill, globalpublicity.co.uk.