South London club Ministry of Sound has posted an open letter to Miley Cyrus London Mayor Boris Johnson, regarding the on-going battle to keep the club alive in the wake of potential housing developments. 

For several years now, the owners of Ministry have been opposed to a proposal to build a 41-storey block of flats next door – a development, they fear, will result in the club’s closure.

In October 2011, Ministry believed that it had won this battle after the housing scheme was rejected by planners, but the development has since been given a second chance, with a hearing on February 26.

Speaking to the Evening Standard earlier this year, club owner James Palumbo claimed that “the bottom line is if they build that block of flats, we are going to close. If you’ve got a flat in the second floor in that building, you’d object to the noise”. Ministry then launched a petition to save the club, which can be read here.

The hearing date to decide on whether the Eileen House development will go ahead is currently set for November 17. Ministry have now posted an update on the situation, as well as an open letter to Johnson. The former reads thus:

The hearing date to decide on the proposed Eileen House development will now take place on 19th November 2013. In February, Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, deferred his decision to allow further time for negotiations between Ministry of Sound and the developer Oakmayne.

Since then, Ministry of Sound has been working hard to find a solution. We believe we’ve found one that will allow both sides to co-exist.

As we’ve always maintained, we have never been opposed to development in our area. But every other big club in London has closed as a result of it. We’re the last man standing.

So all we need are some firm legal guarantees that will enable us to continue to operate as we do now – with no threat of closure.

We have sent our proposed solution to the Mayor and his planning advisers and are urging them to do the right thing – for our 200 staff, our 300,000 annual guests and our millions of fans around the world.

Boris Johnson has promised Ministry Sound is ‘safe on my watch’. He recognises our cultural and economic value to London. He knows we’ve been around for nearly 25 years and have earned our right to stay here.

Now is the time to honour his word.

And here’s the open letter:

Earlier this year another South London club, Cable, was forced to close as a result of other developments in the area.