The manager of a pub where Florence and the Machine and Franz Ferdinand have performed fears it could close if developers get the go-ahead to build flats around it.

Hackney Gazette: The Macbeth pub in 70 Hoxton Street.The Macbeth pub in 70 Hoxton Street. (Image: Archant)

A planning application has been lodged to build nine flats at the back and side of The Macbeth in Hoxton Street, Hoxton, but a petition opposing it has garnered more than 2,000 signatures.

Manager Mark Robinson fears the block could lead to the demise of the 150-year-old pub and music venue.

He said: “The development will surround our venue and we will inevitably have our licence reviewed and possibly revoked by the new occupiers through complaints of noise and the volume of customers this 300-capacity venue caters for.

“This would mean job losses and livelihoods ruined for the sake of nine residential units. We assume none of this would have a social housing element as there must be more than 10 units for this to be mandatory.

“We do everything we can to make sure that the amenity and noise levels of our public house are kept to a very reasonable level, but we have every reason to believe that new residents in such close proximity to a live music venue would surely be its death knell, as so many well known establishments have been closed down in this way.

Proud

“We are extremely proud to say we are beating the recession and have kept many people in employment, although the pub trade has suffered immensely over the past few years,” he added.

“There are comments not only from the community but from all over the world which is fantastic. We didn’t realise how much love for the place and community spirit there was. The consensus seems to be that the Macbeth has enriched the cultural heritage of east London which is what makes east London so great.

“It would seem that having paved the way, ironically we have made it attractive to property developers, who don’t share the same vision.”

The pub owners have a legal right to use a roof terrace, but an application to create a doorway leading to it and a canopy was refused because of the pending application.

Neither Bluecroft Property developers or architect PHPlus, who have lodged the application, wished to comment.

n Comments on application number 2013/1081 are being taken by Hackney Council. To view the petition see www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/save-the-macbeth.