Pryzm has survived thanks to brilliant efforts by many, but a central factor was what Troy Deeney would call “cojones”. The site’s landlord essentially tried to bluff its way to flats. It submitted plans for 147 homes and said Pryzm was getting cut either way – floating the prospect of that huge, iconic site sitting empty if approval wasn’t granted. The pragmatic option for Watford Borough Council was accept the inevitable and build homes.
Thankfully, clearer thinking prevailed. Losing Pryzm would have been a disastrous betrayal of our heritage. Going on a Watford bar crawl before carousing in its club is practically a rite of passage. Society could collapse without it. Depriving young people of unbridled Pryzming would only lead to cohorts of sobbing TikTokers – a dystopia that had to be forestalled.
The council rejected the plans and stood firm for months. Then, as D-Day loomed, the landlord U-turned and renewed Pryzm’s lease for five years. WBC had played a blinder, but it wasn’t the only one. Club manager Dave Vickery’s campaign was backed by hundreds, including local MP Dean Russell, who fought for its future in Parliament and behind the scenes. Watford Business Improvement District (BID) warned of “devastation”, and numerous residents fired off objections. A community call to arms has saved Pryzm and probably Watford’s nightlife. Well done, everyone.
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