Legendary LGBT venue saved from wrecking balls

London’s queer spaces are shutting down at an alarming rate, yielding to the financial and political muscle that property developers possess in the city. The oldest and most historic of the lot, The Royal Vauxhall Tavern, has become the first LGBTQ space in Britain to be afforded listed status. The award means that it will be extremely hard for developers to circumvent the law and knock it down to build "luxury flats".

Amy Lamé, co-host of much-loved club night Duckie and chair at the RVT, said: "The listing is a fantastic milestone for our community and a victory against the odds for our beloved pub. We look forward to continuing our work to ensure the RVT remains a vibrant space of LGBTQ community and culture for generations to come. The RVT now joins New York’s Stonewall Inn, home of the gay liberation movement, in being officially recognised for its contribution to social history. We thank our many, many supporters from across London and further afield."

The Royal Vauxhall Tavern was built around 1860 and in the 150 years since has become a vital space for London’s queer community. Its future looked doomed when it was bought by development company Immovate, who were being secretive about their plans for the building and refused to meet with the pub’s community.

However, any plans to flatten it will now be put on hold and the RVT community is calling on Immovate, based in Austria, to meet them and discuss the pub’s future, with it remaining as popular as ever.

Any news that involves property developers not getting their way in a city overrun with giant, empty soulless buildings and a skyline full of cranes, is always good news.