Liverpool club and culture space meraki calls for community action to help save venue

Liverpool venue meraki is asking for community support to help save it from potential closure in the face of a neighbouring residential development proposal.

The independent venue, located on Dickson Street in the city's designated creative zone, is at risk as developers submit a planning application for the Bonded Tea Warehouse residential development, which, if successful, would be located 10m from the club and cultural space. meraki is concerned that having residences built so near to the venue is a death knell, as it would make it a target for noise complaints and conflicts with the city's Agent of Change policy. While there was a noise assessment conducted as part of the developer's planning process, meraki says it was conducted outside of the club's operating hours.

The meraki team is asking for supporters to write to the Liverpool City Council now that the planning application is formally available for public feedback via the city's planning portal. "Without public representation from people like you, this development will go ahead and meraki will not survive," the club's crew says on Instagram.

To streamline and clarify the process, meraki has put together a guide on how to help the venue while the planning application is in the public representation-gathering stage. Supporters can either write their own letter to the council with highlighted key points, or they can use the draft copy provided.

In February, meraki ran the first phase of this Save meraki campaign aimed at the developers as they drafted the planning application.

Fellow Liverpool venue 24 Kitchen Street has also felt the threat of closure in late 2019 due to neighbouring residential development. The Liverpool City Council adopted an Agent of Change policy a few months prior, though it still approved the developer's plans to install glass windows over the venue's outdoor terrace, putting the club at risk of noise complaints. 24 Kitchen Street remains open today.

For more information on how to help, see meraki's guide via Google Docs and the Instagram post below.