East End Review

Tag: Landhold Developments

  • Bailiffs seize Passing Clouds following campaigners’ last stand against eviction

    Bailiffs seize Passing Clouds following campaigners’ last stand against eviction

    Passing Clouds supporters
    Previously: Passing Clouds supporters outside the Dalston venue

    Supporters of Passing Clouds who barricaded themselves in the venue in a last stand against eviction have been booted out by bailiffs.

    Metal shutters have been put on the windows and doors of the Dalston club to stop any break-ins or further occupations of the venue, which celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier this year.

    Landhold Developments, which bought the building on Richmond Road in November, had an eviction order upheld by a County Court judge last Friday (12 August).

    The decision prompted angry demonstrations outside Clerkenwell and Shoreditch County Court, with protesters wielding banners calling for the club to be saved.

    Protesters then occupied Passing Clouds in defiance of the eviction order.

    But bailiffs turned up on Monday evening (15 August) and seized back the building.

    Passing Clouds
    Now: bailiffs have put metal shutters on the windows and doors of Passing Clouds to stop trespassers. Photograph: Hackney Citizen

    Venue boss Eleanor Wilson has vowed to fight on by appealing to the High Court, and has also applied to make the venue an Asset of Community Value.

    Calls on social media have been made for Sadiq Khan to step in and save the much-loved venue, with one Twitter user framing it an “issue of money vs creativity”.

    The lease for Passing Clouds expired in May, but when the landlord changed the locks supporters broke in to ‘reclaim’ the venue.

    A spokesperson for the owner, Landhold Developments, said at the time: “Possession of the premises was lawfully taken back by the landlord on 16 June 2016, with two security guards remaining on site to protect the property.

    “Later that day, a mob of 30-40 people, forced their way into the property, damaging the new locks that had been installed and ejecting the security guards.”

    Eleanor Wilson
    Disqualified: Passing Clouds founder Eleanor Wilson. Photograph: Hackney Council/Adam Holt

    Eleanor Wilson, boss of the much-loved nightspot, told the East End Review/em> in June that she had made a private agreement with the landlord to remain until 11 August, but admitted no contract had been signed.

    The government last week announced that Eleanor Wilson had been disqualified from acting as a company director for five years for failing to pay tax on time and sloppy book-keeping – details of which were first brought to light by the East End Review.

    Passing Clouds’ boss Eleanor Wilson was approached for comment by the East End Review but had not responded by time of publication.

  • Protestors ‘reclaim’ Passing Clouds after landlord changes locks

    Protestors ‘reclaim’ Passing Clouds after landlord changes locks

    Passing Clouds supporters
    Jubilant: Passing Clouds supporters outside the Dalston venue

    Dalston venue Passing Clouds has been ‘reclaimed’ by protestors after the landlord changed the locks, shutting venue staff out.

    The venue was able to open later to host its scheduled event.

    The premises, which first flung open its doors ten years ago, was sold by the previous owner in September last year to a new landlord, Landhold Developments.

    The lease expired last month, and so Passing Clouds were legally bound to vacate the premises.

    Eleanor Wilson, the founder of Passing Clouds, last month told <em>Hackney Today</em>, the council’s fortnightly freesheet, how she she first began back in June 2006: “Our vision was unique and there was no model for what we were doing. On a business level,though, we were stepping into the unknown.”

    “It all happened so fast. Suddenly, I had signed the lease and had the keys. It was the beginning of an incredibly steep learning curve.”

    Passing Clouds is now petitioning its Landhold Developments, asking they agree to either with a long-term lease or sale to them of the building.

    A spokesperson for the landlord, Landhold Developments, said: “Passing Clouds have been aware for many months that her lease was due to expire in May of this year.

    “They have continued to occupy the premises without the landlord’s consent.

    “Whilst there is no obligation on the landlord to serve notice in such situations, our solicitors wrote to Ms Wilson on two occasions to inform her that she was occupying as a trespasser and if she did not leave the premises immediately, the landlord would take back possession.

    “Passing Clouds failed to respond to either of these letters and so bailiffs were instructed accordingly.

    “Possession of the premises was lawfully taken back by the landlord on 16 June 2016, with two security guards remaining on site to protect the property

    “Later that day, a mob of 30-40 people, forced their way into the property, damaging the new locks that had been installed and ejecting the security guards.

    “Any occupiers who remain on the premises are occupying unlawfully which constitutes a trespass.”