The new owner plans to start work on the site later this year
By Victoria Munro

The building is currently blue and yellow in support of Ukraine (credit: Wood Street Walls/Maser)

A new company has stepped up to reopen iconic music venue The Standard after the previous developer abruptly folded.

The venue in Blackhorse Lane shuttered after 25 years in 2011 and both residents and Waltham Forest Council are keen to see it reopen.

However, twice now councillors have granted planning permission for a project on the site and seen something scupper the plans.

Most recently, planning permission for a new venue and 300 “co-living” flats on the site was awarded in 2020 to The Collective, which went into administration less than a year later.

Plans for a new venue and 300 flats

The building’s new owner is Scape, who stated in a press release on 1st April that they will be “redeveloping the site later this year to deliver a new venue and shared living accommodation”.

No new planning application has been submitted for the site, suggesting Scape, who won permission in 2020 for Hackney’s first “co-living” development, will build to the plans submitted by The Collective.

Passers-by can donate by pointing their smartphone at this artwork (credit: WSW/Maser)

In the meantime, Scape has allowed artist Maser and local organisation Wood Street Walls to paint the building blue and yellow in support of Ukraine, including a piece of street art that allows people to donate using their smartphone.

The piece – titled Together for Ukraine – uses paint rescued from landfill and is part of the Play Your Part for Ukraine campaign.

All donations are split equally between the UN Refugee Agency, Unicef, the UN World Food Programme, Laureus Sport for Good and the Order of Malta.

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