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Even if you have objected before The Yard STILL needs you!


With its vine-strewn courtyard, amphora-scattered walkway, and tranquil but metropolitan atmosphere, The Yard is a rare and sought-after urban oasis of calm amongst Soho’s screeching sprawl.

But, as with many good things these days, it seems we’re not allowed to enjoy it in peace. The Yard team have been fighting off developers over the last 18 months and, despite many rebuttals, they’re not letting up, determined to put a no-doubt soulless corporate stamp on The Yard’s gorgeously unique façade.

The development, if built, would cause the loss of the balcony, remove the beautiful Victorian hipped roofs and cover the open air courtyard to enable flats to be built above.

But they’ve got on last chance for preservation, and we can help them. In a final ditch effort for salvation, they’re attempting to get listed building status, and as part of that, they’re being evaluated by Historic England. It has an initiative called Pride of Place, which helps document places of LGBTQ heritage and historic importance across the UK.

The key is to show that The Yard is an integral and historical part of our community. To do this, you can share your past experiences on the map, no matter how recent or old they are – special moments you had over a bottle of wine with friends, or even just fond memories of drunken Saturday nights.

“Historic England’s decision is imminent so we need to act fast, any memories you have of The Yard are so vital!” says owner, Andy Jones “This is the last push to get the building listed and preserve it for future generations.

“Historic England does not have access to the thousands of previous objections to Westminster City Council. Therefore, please make your voice heard by demonstrating the important role The Yard has played in the history of the LGBTQ community.”

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