Celebrities including Kate Moss, Peaches Geldof and Georgia May Jagger are giving their support to a campaign to save a historic London pub facing closure due to a residential property development.
The George Tavern in Stepney has a history spanning 600 years and is a popular live music venue. It has staged gigs and events featuring the likes of Nick Cave, Babyshambles and Plan B.
The property also plays host to classical music nights, fashion shoots, art exhibitions and poetry readings, and campaigners claim its closure would be a huge loss the artistic community of East London.
Its future is in doubt due to an application to convert a neighbouring building into flats. This has raised fears that the pub could be forced to close due to complaints about late night noise levels. In such cases a single complaint can result in serious restraints being placed on a premises, including being banned from playing music altogether.
Landlady Pauline Forster, who has spent time and money renovating the Grade II listed building, says that people from all over the world visit the George and that a residential development in a commercial area is inappropriate.
“Six flats next to a pub and music venue, with events until 3am – it’s very obvious that anyone living there won’t be able to tolerate it,” she told the Evening Standard.
“I would lose my licence or it would be restricted and the George Tavern really needs its music to pay its way.
“If you don’t put up a fight, it’s easy for developers to get their way in this climate when people are being told there isn’t enough affordable housing.”
Campaigners have collected over 2,000 signatures on a petition calling for the refusal of the application.However they may only have until Friday, when the appeal is heard, to save the pub and are calling on the public to get involved.
Other celebrities backing the long-running campaign to save the George Tavern are singer Grace Jones, actor Sir Ian Mckellen and punk-poet John Cooper Clarke.
