Milton Keynes theatre and music venue receives almost £300,000 in emergency funding

The windfall comes after the Wavendon venue last week lost a costly legal battle to protect its right to make a noise without incurring complaints from residents.

The Stables has been closed since the beginning of lockdown and this week chief executive Monica Ferguson said there is no immediate prospect of reopening until the government’s restrictions on live music venues and theatres is eased.

“Having lost 95% of our income overnight, we are relieved to receive this additional support from Arts Council England which will fund 60 per cent of our costs during this closure period," she said.

"The support we have had from individuals and organisations donating towards our crowdfunding appeal, which has reached nearly £20,000, has also been fantastic and we want to thank everyone for their contributions.”

The Stables has postponed around 300 events so far this summer as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.. These include IF: Milton Keynes International Festival.

Last week it had the bad news that it has lost its lengthy battle centred around a new housing development planned on its doorstep.

The Stables fought for a The Deed of Easement to be imposed to prevent the new residents complaining about its noise levels.

The deed would provide the venue with the legal right to continue to make noise at the existing levels and will ensure that all future residents of the development are legally bound by this right.

MK Council agreed to impose the deed, but last week a planning inspector overturned the decision and ruled in favour of the developers, Abbey Developments.

The inspector said the council acted unreasonably and unlawfully - and ordered them to pay all Abbey Developments' legal costs.

He said: “There is simply no basis to conclude, as feared by many local residents, that the lack of a deed would place the future operation of The Stables in jeopardy.”

Monica Ferguson has this week hit back, saying she hopes the council will challenge the decision.

She said: “The salami slicing of the site by Abbey Homes appears to have satisfied the Planning Inspector that the deed of easement was not required on this part of the site and that it was not lawful to impose such a deed at this stage in the planning process.

"We hope and expect that Milton Keynes Council will consult their barrister on the merits of a statutory challenge to the Inspector’s decision. We are concerned that whilst this decision stands, it will affect not only the threat from the western homes but also the approach by Abbey Homes to mitigating noise imposed on the eastern part of the site which is closest to The Stables.

"The approval of the western half of the site still requires acoustic fencing along the boundary with The Stables in order to protect The Stables and we trust that the Council will require the highest standards when approving this

fencing.”

The Stables launched a crowdfunding site to help it recoup some of the the £100,000 it says it has spent on protecting it from the threat of closure if new residents complain about noise.