After the request of review for Form 696 (read our previous article here), London mayor Sadiq Khan announced that the controversial law has finally been scrapped.
Form 696 required event organisers to submit approval 14 days before the events taking place and was originally introduced in 2005 to reduce risks after a number of shootings at clubs and venues across the capital.
A few months ago it was accused of unfairly targeting grime events. “They [police] target grime a lot, they just blame a lot of things on grime. We know they’re just trying to shut down grime”, were MC P Money‘s words on the matter.
Although the effectiveness of Form 696 the Metropolitan Police Service admit they “also recognise recent concerns raised by members of the London music industry, particularly around a perception that events associated with some genres of music were disproportionately affected by this process.”
London Superintendent Roy Smith released this statement a few days ago; “We have taken the decision to remove the Form 696 and instead develop a new voluntary partnership approach for venues and promoters across London. This will provide an excellent opportunity to share information at a local level and work to identify any enhanced risk to ensure the safety of the public.”
According to Sadiq Khan “This decision will help London’s nighttime economy thrive, ensure the capital is a welcoming place for artists and DJs of all music genres and that Londoners are able to enjoy live music safely.”
Sounds like a happy ending for the city of London.
