Chris Townsend outside Map Café Studio

A CELEBRATED backstreet music venue is facing closure – after a licensing and planning wrangle with the Town Hall.

Map Café Studio, in Grafton Road, Kentish Town, has been a hotbed of grassroots music in NW5 since 2011 – but for the past three years, its owners have been locked in talks over how they can remain trading.

After complaints from a neighbour who moved in three years ago, it came to light that the café and small performance space on the first floor had been used incorrectly – with a licence that allowed alcohol to be served up to 6pm with a meal.

It also raised issues over the planning status of the premises.

Some neighbours have raised issues over late-night noise from customers and music, asking the venue to install soundproofing and ensure customers do not gather outside.

Now manager Theo Ali, who runs the café for the owner Chris Townsend, says despite Map operating without any trouble since 2011, a bid to secure a different licence has not been successful, and that they cannot get the right investment to make large-scale changes to the venue without securing a new licence.

The venue says they have now soundproofed the performance space and that has mitigated the impact.

But they say if Camden Council do not allow them a licence to sell alcohol in the evening they will close.

Mr Ali said: “They have challenged the fact we have been trading since 2011, which means we should be allowed to stay open as we are.

“We are a grassroots venue with a bar. Being able to serve alcohol into the evenings is a vital way to pay staff. If we can’t do that, we will close.”

Mr Ali said the venue accepted the issue was complicated by the venue failing to apply for the correct licence back in 2011.

He added: “There seems to have been no problem until well after the building was established as a music venue. The planning officers have already told us they won’t accept our application unless we adhere to our current usage and licensing parameters. This would be tantamount to shutting us down, as it’s never been how the business has operated.”

A retrospective planning application to firm up the legal status of the café and venue was rejected.

Mr Ali says the council has made unreasonable demands based on a sound-monitoring survey, including replacing the roof with a concrete slab to contain noise.

Mr Ali says much of this is not necessary and they have already done work to mitigate noise.

He said: “We are in a position where unless we are given a different licence, we cannot raise the investment needed to make the changes. But we can’t get a licence until we make the changes.”

While the venue enjoys support in the area, including the backing of members of the Inkerman Area Residents’ Association, they have also faced complaints over noise from a number of neighbours.

One resident gathered evidence that they say shows Map has not been trading continuously since 2011 – though the café disputes these claims, saying they include a period where they were closed for refurbishment and under Covid restrictions.

Kentish Town ward Labour councillor Meric Apek has attempted to help the venue and neighbours work through the issues.

He said: “I support cultural venues and have never sought Map’s closure. Over the past three years I received numerous complaints from neighbouring residents about alleged breaches of licensing conditions.

“None of the residents who contacted me wanted Map to close. Their consistent request was simply that Map comply with the licence conditions it agreed to when the licence was granted.

“Map already holds a  premises licence as a music venue, which was light on conditions but has sought to operate with even less restrictive arrangements.

“Separately, Map is also seeking retrospective planning permission to regularise its transition from a café to its current music venue and business model.”