Save our Studios - Church Studios, Crouch End

We the undersigned petition the council to... Reject plans to redevelop Church Studios on Crouch Hill into residential flats, office and retail space, and maintain the building's original features both internally and externally; Carefully consider the impact such a redevelopment would have on the character and cultural heritage of Crouch End; Consider potential practical solutions that will enable the entirity of the building to continue to be used by musicians and artists for creative purposes. The Church studios are and have been a part of Crouch End's artistic and creative heritage for decades. Many local musicians and artists use and are based in the building. If the main part of the building is converted into residential flats, not only will a remarkable and historic portion of the building be forever changed, the smaller studios that adjoin the building will likely have to cease operation or spend thousands on further soundproofing to avoid noise disturbance. This will have a significant effect on the vitality of the local arts scene and the character of the area. It will also affect the livelihoods of those working in the building at this time. Crouch End is renowned as one of London's most creative areas and the use of the building as a hub for creatives is part of local folklore. The Wikipedia entry for Crouch End has an entire section on the arts scene in Crouch End, in which the Church Studios feature prominently. It is a well known fact that Bob Dylan recorded in the studios in the 1980s. However, not only does the building have a musical history, it has a musical future too. The likes of Mumford & Sons, Michael Kiwanuka and Ben Howard have worked and recorded with the Communion record label recently, who are also based in the building. Those artists are now breaking through to become internationally successful. Indeed, a session Kiwanuka recorded in another of the studios in the building, has attracted millions of views on YouTube, propelling that studio and attracting other artists to work there. This development will threaten the productivity of these studios and the artists working in them. The building itself is a visually arresting 19th century church. As such it is one of the most valued buildings in Crouch End. It is inevitable that conversion for residential use will mean more maintenance of the building will be required both on the interior and exterior. It may prove difficult to maintain aspects of the building in keeping with the materials it was originally constructed with. In addition, there are many other buildings in the area that are not as valued and are more suitable and more in need of redevelopment into residential properties.