The Sekforde, a beloved pub in Clerkenwell which has been serving thirsty Londoners since 1829, might be forced to change its licence after locals complained about noise near the venue.
This week (November 21), the pub shared that its licence was up for review in an Instagram post. According to the pub, Islington Council wants to revoke the right to stand with a drink outside the venue, and dramatically reduce the number of outdoor tables. The Sekforde warned that under these conditions it ‘will not be able to survive’.
‘This is potentially really bad for us,’ the owners wrote. ‘They want to stop anyone drinking outside except for a few tables, and impose other really difficult conditions on us. The pub will probably end up being sold and turned into flats if it goes ahead.’
View this post on Instagram
People took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their dismay.
‘One of the best pubs in London struggling for survival because planning is stacked in favour of some powerful (likely old) NIMBYs. Everything that’s wrong with Britain,’ journalist Lewis Goodall wrote.
‘Staff here say they have the council coming in every week monitoring the noise. At a pub. Completely absurd,’ he added.
One of the best pubs in London @SekfordeThe struggling for survival because planning is stacked in favour of some powerful (likely old) NIMBYs. Everything that’s wrong with Britain pic.twitter.com/6E2qY8oVsv
— Lewis Goodall (@lewis_goodall) November 21, 2024
And they’re asking for your help. If you want to support the Sekforde, you can email Islington Council to oppose the changes before December 17. All you have to do is send a message to licensing@islington.gov.uk saying that you oppose the licence changes, make sure to include your name and address.
If we learned anything from the battle to save the Compton Arms, it’s that if there’s enough of us we can make a difference.
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Check out Time Out’s 50 best pubs in London.
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