Central London venue to close in January

16:59 | Friday November 28, 2008

The owners of the club say that they have been notified by Transport For London that the venue is to be acquired by a compulsory purchase order under the Crossrail Act, the same act that will also lead to the closure of the neighbouring Astoria.

Metro’s Paul Tunkin says, “Although the rumblings of Crossrail have been going on for many years, it has come up far quicker than any of us could have expected. At present we are looking for new premises to relocate the venue to but have yet to find one suitable.

“Ultimately it is another nail in the coffin for central London's live music and club scene. And when you are about to be served 28 days notice just before Christmas you have to ask why not give people more time to relocate? Why destroy successful businesses when in a recession? Why the hurry? Where is the West End heading?”

The final club night of The Metro Club will be Saturday, January 17 2009, with the club closing definitively three days later.

The owners have launched a photo gallery on blowupmetro.com, featuring some of the photos from their archives taken, with more to be added soon.

“Thank you to everyone who has supported the club. Please stay tuned and let’s go out with a bang,” Tunkin adds.

Transport For London could not be reached for comment at time of publication.