Industry body launches campaign to keep BOXPARK Shoreditch open
Industry body The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has launched a campaign calling on Hackney Council to keep BOXPARK Shoreditch open.
BOXPARK is set to vacate the site by the end of the summer, after reaching the expiration of its lease and being served notice by its landlord.
This comes after the Mayor of London approved planning permission for the redevelopment of the 4.5 hectare site, with BOXPARK making way for new homes, retail, leisure, and office space, and a new park.
Opening in 2011, BOXPARK Shoreditch began as a ‘meanwhile use’ scheme at Bishopsgate Goodsyard. The venue was created to provide a platform for independent businesses to develop their brand and served as a catalyst for the regeneration of Shoreditch. The NTIA described the scheme as a “vital” part of East London’s social and cultural fabric.
The group said the site’s potential closure would not only “devastate” the businesses and individuals it supports, but also set back regeneration efforts in Shoreditch. The NTIA added that Hackney Council’s “failure” to protect the site would be a “glaring oversight”.
Michael Kill, CEO of the NTIA, said: “Boxpark Shoreditch exemplifies the exact issue faced across the country with red tape and restrictive regulatory controls stalling business investment. This has to stop. People are fed up. The new Government has made an amazing start, and I call on them to reach into the local authority and invigorate the local planning department and Hackney Council to find a solution.”
“Public sentiment is clear: Boxpark Shoreditch must be preserved. The community is prepared to rally, protest, and escalate this issue to national attention if necessary. This is not a mere appeal; it is a demand for action. The new Government’s commitments to planning regime changes must be leveraged to find a solution that ensures the survival of this indispensable venue.”
The NTIA said the issue has already reached the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, local councillors, and MPs, and will continue to gain momentum until a satisfactory resolution is achieved.
The news comes as BOXPARK prepares for new site openings later this year, with the operator set to open in two London locations; Camden Town and Liverpool Street, and make its debut in Bristol early next year. The group also recently launched its first venue in Liverpool, and has signed a long-term property management deal to assume operational management of Camden’s Buck Street Market.