Nightclub above Prince of Wales slammed by locals already coping with ‘crackheads’

Nightclub above Prince of Wales slammed by locals already coping with ‘crackheads’

The new 24-hour venue said it would feature ‘top-tier music, immersive spaces’ including a ‘Red Room, Boudoir and SKY Terrace’ and bring a ‘new era for London clubbing’

Brixton resident Mark Beaton at Windrush Square and opposite the Prince of Wales
One resident, Mark Beaton, said anything other than bars or restaurants will being “trouble” to the area(Image: James Gamble / SWNS)

Locals in South London living near a soon-to-be 24-hour nightclub say plans are “crazy” and they can hardly sleep as it is. The Prince of Wales is a popular pub in bustling Brixton, but a nightclub called Brixton Storeys is set to open above it later this month.

Brixton has issues with crime and drugs, and locals worry it will get much worse, alongside rising noise levels. They say noise levels on weekends, especially over the summer, is making them consider moving somewhere quieter. The 24-hour club might be the last straw.

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The new 750-person capacity venue posted on Instagram and said it would feature ‘top-tier music, immersive spaces’ and bring a ‘new era for London clubbing’. It is set to partner exclusively with Ticketmaster for its ticketing.

General views of the Prince of Wales pub in Brixton, London
The area has reportedly become more dangerous since lockdown(Image: James Gamble / SWNS)

Local Mark Beaton, who was once a keen partier in Brixton clubs, said the area has gone downhill since covid and is now a haven for drug dealers and “crackheads”.

The 60-year-old cited a fatal stabbing in March of a man in his 30s – reportedly involving drugs – as an example of the area’s decline.

The sports massage therapist, who used to run bars and restaurants, said: “I’ve come out of my door and seen six people smoking crack in the hallway, having kicked the door down; everyone calls this road ‘crack alley’.

Brixton resident Mark Beaton at Windrush Square and opposite the Prince of Wale
Mark Beaton said the area is overrun by ‘crackheads’(Image: James Gamble / SWNS)

“I hate to say it, but apart from bars and restaurants, anything else is going to be trouble around here.”

Beaton said speakers on the rooftop terrace of the pub used to make his bed shake as he tried to sleep.

He added: “”It doesn’t feel safe here anymore. I would love to move somewhere quieter, but I’m in social housing.”

Mark said it doesn’t feel safe in the area(Image: James Gamble / SWNS)

Another anonymous man also expressed concern about the club.

He said: “Ir’s crazy. We have noise all the time. It’s really, really hard to fall asleep during the weekends. I have to sleep with earplugs.

“But I don’t know what we can do about it.”

The club in the iconic building will have a 750-person capacity(Image: James Gamble / SWNS)

The local resident said he has spoken with Lambeth Council about the noise at night but that there’s ‘no real regulation’ for venues in the area.

He added: “I guess they don’t really care about us.

“I’m not anti-business, but there should be a balance between the quality of life for residents in the area.”

Some residents think the club is a positive addition to the area(Image: James Gamble / SWNS)

But other residents said it was a good idea as the area has been through ‘gentrification’.

“There was always a lot of nightclubs down here when we were growing up. It’s gentrification; they got rid of us, then the nightclubs.”

Brixton Storeys’ owner, Stevie Thomas, said: “We wanted to bring a fresh narrative to Brixton nightlife but stay connected to the area’s heritage.”

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Client Development Director in Ticketmaster’s music department Tim Goom added: “Brixton’s rich musical heritage sets the stage for Brixton Storeys to be a game-changer for the local scene.”

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