London LGBTQ+ venues have more than halved in past decade

The number of LGBTQ+ venues in London has fallen by 58% from 125 to 53 since 2006, according to a new report published today by the UCL Urban Laboratory, and commissioned by the Mayor of London and Greater London Authority (GLA). Despite LGBTQ+ venues often being thriving and successful businesses, the study shows that they are closing because of external pressures. These include the negative impacts of large-scale developments on venue clusters, a lack of implementation of safeguarding measures in the existing planning system and the sale and change of use of property by landlords whereby venue owners, operators and clients have severely limited negotiating power compared with large organisations. Other major drivers of closure include rising business rates and rents, as well as a change of ownership, which can sometimes lead to venues becoming targeted at non-LGBTQ+ clientele. The study, conducted by Dr Ben Campkin (Director, UCL Urban Laboratory) and Laura Marshall (UCL Urban Laboratory), produced a dataset that has been launched as a public map by the GLA. Dr Ben Campkin said, 'Our research evidences the rich variety of LGBTQ+ night-time venues in London and the continuing need for these spaces, which serve an important range of functions for neighbourhood and community life, culture and wellbeing.  'Over the period of the study, a large number of venues have succumbed to changes of use, development, and the inability of operators and customers to defend themselves against rent increases and unfavourable changes to their terms of lease.