Robyn Rosen CONTROVERSIAL plans to turn a music venue in Crouch End into a lap dancing club have been put on hold in the week that a local resident discovered a legal loophole. Owners of the Music Palace in Tottenham Lane have asked the council to cance

Robyn Rosen

CONTROVERSIAL plans to turn a music venue in Crouch End into a lap dancing club have been "put on hold" in the week that a local resident discovered a legal loophole.

Owners of the Music Palace in Tottenham Lane have asked the council to cancel a licensing committee meeting due to decide the venue's fate on May 14.

Plans to turn the music venue, a former Salvation Army citadel, into a lap dancing club were met with huge opposition by local residents, councillors and traders who clubbed together to form the Lapoff campaign.

Adrian Essex, of Fairfield Road, obtained details of the building's lease and discovered that the landlord had requested that the site should not be used for "any illegal or immoral purpose", not to cause nuisance to the neighbourhood and not to change the use without permission from the landlord.

He claims this may have led to the postponement of the council decision.

Mr Essex, 58, said: "I found out about their plans in the newspaper and was quite upset so decided to obtain the lease from the land registry. When I saw it, I wrote to the landlord."

Daliah Barrett, licensing manager at the council, told residents: "The applicants need time to resolve an issue raised by their landlord, and possibly planning issues. The matter will not be listed in the near future at the request of the solicitor and they have requested that they contact us at a later date to either request the application to be listed or to be withdrawn."

But Serdal Ziya, licensee at the venue, told Broadway that plans could still go ahead.

She said: "The date of the meeting has been cancelled because we need to sort things out before we can do it. We're waiting on a few things and depending on that, we'll carry on."

The latest news has had a mixed response by residents who are pleased at the cancellation of the meeting but anxious that the plans have only been put on hold and may still go ahead.

Alison Lilystone, also of Fairfield Road, said: "We are pleased that it has been postponed but remain even vigilant and will be ready if it gets back on the table. There is potential for a thriving business there if they work with the community rather than against."

Crouch End councillor, David Winskill added: "It's not over until the fat lady doesn't wiggle."

Cllr Nilgun Canver, cabinet member for enforcement and safer communities, said: "I am delighted this has been put on hold as lap dancing clubs can attract anti-social behaviour to a neighbourhood and we don't want this for Crouch End or anywhere in Haringey."

Meanwhile Ms Ziya has held a meeting with locals to discuss alternative options for the venue, including ideas to turn into a youth club and live music venue.

"I'm open to ideas and would rather go with what residents want because it's a lot less headache," she said.