Margot Richardson and Max West in their garden next to the new centre

NEIGHBOURS in Clerkenwell say an “appalling” plan for late-night opening at a new cultural centre will leave them dealing with “relentless noise” and lower their house prices.

The must-anticipated Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration is set to open in May, but an application to increase the number of events held in the new exhibition space is facing widespread opposition.

Project chiefs have asked Islington Council to approve opening the gallery up to the public until 8.30pm once a month, alongside holding daytime private hires on Mondays and Tuesdays, and up to 22 education events a year, which could last until 9pm.

But a petition opposing the changes has now racked up more than 100 signatures in just one week.

Max West, who started the petition, told the Tribune that residents initially warmed to the idea of having a museum for illustration in their neighbourhood, but that they had never been made aware of the “true scope” of events, and that plans for night-time events and extended opening hours had caused alarm.

Neighbours had “hit the roof”, she said, when they found out the gallery would open until 10.30pm 24 times a year for private events.

“They want to be able to let people who are potentially intoxicated into an incredibly quiet area at 10.30pm,” said Ms West, who has owned her home in Nautilus house for 17 years.

“I think it’s outrageous, this is a residential neighbourhood. Many of us bought our flats here because of the quiet. Now they’re putting in an events venue and café. We are afraid that our property values will go down because of the relentless noise.”

Ms West and her neighbours raised concerns that the number of visitors coming to the centre will lead to unrelenting noise, and that this will worsen ever further in the evenings when the space is kept open for events.

The site before works began

Residents have also said that a patio – where guests will sometimes be allowed until 10pm – overlooks their garden, effectively turning them into a “goldfish bowl” and that “tables full of diners” will be chatting, and clinking, disturbing the peace of the quiet roads.

Maria O’Grady, another neighbour, said she was “very disappointed and concerned”, adding: “People will inevitably be boozed up and chatting loudly as they leave the venue at night.”

The exhibition and events space has been more than 20 years in the making, intended to honour one of the country’s most beloved illustrators.

The £12.5million project will transform the grounds of an 18th-century waterworks into the world’s largest space devoted to illustration, and will also feature a free library, learning spaces, and public gardens.

A spokesperson for the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration said: “We value our relationship with the local community and take any concerns seriously.

“We have been working with and updating local residents since 2019 throughout the process of turning the derelict New River Head waterworks into the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration (in accordance with the planning and listed building consents granted in 2021 and 2024).

“We continue to do so, including with upcoming drop-in sessions. We understand that there has been some concern over our recent Licensing and Section 73 Applications.

“We are conscious of the centre’s residential location and we are deeply committed to both minimising negative impact and making the centre a positive, valued amenity for the local community as galleries, learning spaces and gardens.”

They added: “We have reassured local residents that there are restrictions in place on the frequency of commercial events, the timing of activities and the use of music.

“For example, we are not seeking to extend the number of evening private hires permitted under the existing planning consents – 24 per year, with no more than one per week or three per month, finishing by 10.30pm – and evening use of the terrace is strictly limited.”