World famous Turnmills venue in Clerkenwell to be demolished

�The famous venue which housed Turnmills nightclub is to be demolished and replaced with a six-storey office complex.

At a meeting on Thursday, members of the Islington Council planning committee approved controversial plans from developer Derwent London for the site in Clerkenwell Road.

The building, created in 1886 as a warehouse for the Great Northern Railway Company, housed the Turnmills nightspot between 1985 and 2008.

Derwent London, which developed the Angel Building in St John Street, Clerkenwell, failed to gain permission from the council and a government planning inspector on appeal with a similar application in 2010.

But now councillors have backed the new design which is now one storey lower and of a lighter colour.

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Joe Caluori, vice-chairman of the planning committee, said: “The building itself has historical significance but not in terms of the actual design, which isn’t fantastic. This would be an appropriate building which would make a positive contribution.”

Objection

Vice-chairman Cllr Martin Klute said: “The scheme has come on tremendously. It now blends into the grain of the area.”

English Heritage opposed the new application because it argues the history should be protected and the scale of the redevelopment would still impact on the conservation area and the nearby Grade II listed Middlesex Session House.

Planning committee member Cllr George Allan said: “This application fails utterly to convince me. The building has just been lowered by about four metres and the colour of the bricks has changed.”

At the meeting Richard Hillebron, senior planning consultant of Derwent London, said: “The scheme been redesigned with care taking into account all the comments from the planning inspector.”

It will include a bar, restaurant and a cafe. Piercy Conner Architects and Designers drew it up.