HOPES that a former music venue could reopen with live entertainment could be dashed if the council continues to delay processing a planning application, its owners have claimed.


Turkish supermarket chain TFC bought the Standard Music Venue in Blackhorse Road, Walthamstow, last year and it has been closed since December 2011.


The firm said it intended to use the building for a new shop but in January council leader Cllr Chris Robbins reportedly claimed he was in negotiations with TFC to retain part of the building as a music venue.
 

But now TFC says such a scheme might not happen due to delays in the council's handling of its planning application.


Turkan Ucar, from the family which owns the chain, said TFC was willing to consider some provision of live music at the site alongside a new shop but had been left frustrated by a lack of progress.


She said TFC submitted a pre-planning application over six months ago.


She said: "We need to do something with the building as soon as possible. We've had it for over a year and are paying the mortgage on it.


"We have taken the community comments into consideration and we have left that particular [section of the] site as a music venue.


"We've done our bit...But if the council takes too long then we'll have to do something with the site. We have to think about the costs to us."


According to the council's website it received an application from TFC in August and registered it in September. However the date for when a decision will be made has been left blank.
 

TFC applied for permission to change the legal status of the site from a pub to a retail unit and wrote on its Facebook page that the shop could open in summer 2013.


Ms Ucar added: “At the moment we're just waiting for the council. We haven't heard anything. They said we would hear from them within two months but nothing”.


Residents' association The Blackhorse Action Group (BAG) said in January it had obtained a leaked memo from Cllr Robbins about the site.
 

Cllr Robbins reportedly told TFC  “that we [the council] would expect the pub to be physically retained and that it should continue to be a venue providing local entertainment.


"I am pleased to tell you that there initial response was very positive and that we are now in discussions with this company with a view to restoring the building and its function."
 

The Standard, which included an adjacent pub called the The Tryst, hosted live music and comedy gigs for more than 25 years.


The Guardian is awaiting a comment from the council.