Campaign launched to save Boxpark Shoreditch from closure

A campaign has been launched to save Boxpark Shoreditch in London after Hackney Council revealed the shipping container park will make way for a new development.

News of the closure was reported earlier this month, while negotiations were still ongoing with the landlord, the Greater London Authority (GLA) and the London boroughs of Hackney and Tower Hamlets.

However, Boxpark failed to reach an agreement and will have to move out of the site by the end of the summer to make way for a 4.5-hectare mixed-use scheme with a park, homes, retail, leisure and office space.

Boxpark originally launched as a food and entertainment space in October 2011. It has since supplied more than 1,000 jobs and is believed to have contributed more than £80m annually to the local economy.

Boxpark Shoreditch was the group’s first site, followed by launches in Wembley and Croydon.

Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), said: “Boxpark Shoreditch exemplifies the exact issue faced across the country, with red tape and restrictive regulatory controls stalling business investment. This has to stop. People are fed up. The new government has made an amazing start, and I call on them to reach into the local authority and invigorate the local planning department and Hackney Council to find a solution.”

Roger Wade, founder of Boxpark, added: “Despite our relentless efforts in collaboration with the GLA, Hackney Council and our landlords BGY, we must close due to a planning requirement. Unfortunately, the developers will not start building immediately, which makes this decision even more disheartening, especially since our neighbours Powerleague received an extension.

“We have initiated a campaign to save BoxPark Shoreditch. Your help and support would be greatly appreciated.”

It comes after Labour committed to liberalising planning regimes across England and Wales in the King’s Speech, and stated it will introduce new laws to modernise planning committees, improve their decision making and provide a more “predictable” service for developers and investors. 

Boxpark opened its first regional location in Liverpool last year and will make open a Boxhall in Bristol in 2025, while a Birmingham launch is in the pipeline.

The campaign to save Boxpark Shoreditch is available to view here.