Campaigners who won their fight to have an iconic entertainment venue Grade II listed have been warned it could actually be its “death knell”.

The listing of the Royal Vauxhall Tavern (RVT) this week was the first of its kind for a lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender (LGBT) venue.

But the RVT?boss says the decision is “catastrophic” because it needs to be renovated to make it commercially viable.

Despite the pub being made an Asset of Community Value, some punters and performers at the RVT asked Historic England to support a call for it to be listed.

It followed the sale of the Kennington Lane venue to owners, Austrian property company Immovate, in October last year.

The Grade II listing gives Lambeth council, as the local planning authority, more power to reject any future proposals to demolish and redevelop the site.

The RVT is a well known LGBTQ [Q stands for “questioning”] venue and recently featured in Stephen Beresford’s hit film Pride.

Built between 1860 and 1862, it was a hub during the Aids crisis and is currently a thriving site of culture, performance and community in South London.

The RVT has long been supported by leading UK entertainers including Graham Norton, Sir Ian McKellen and Paul O’Grady, who regularly performed there as Lily Savage.

Amy Lamé is the co-founder and host of long-running RVT night Duckie and chairs RVT Future, the community group that co-ordinated the listing application.

She said: “The listing is a fantastic milestone for our community and a victory against the odds for our beloved pub.

“We look forward to continuing our work to ensure the RVT remains a vibrant space of LGBTQ community and culture for generations to come.”

Cllr Jack Hopkins, Lambeth’s cabinet member for jobs and growth, who wrote to the Secretary of State endorsing the campaign, said: “I think Lambeth can be very proud that not only do we have the highest proportion of LGBT people in London, we now have a building listed and recognised for its importance to that community.

“There has been a tremendous amount of work from local people and Lambeth’s planning and conservation officers so this a great achievement for everyone involved.”

However, RVT chief executive James Lindsay warned the decision would have a devastating and “catastrophic” impact on the RVT’s future.

He said: “It has been a damaging campaign and the decision is catastrophic.

“Our capacity is currently 350 but we need it to be between 600 and 650 to make it commercially viable.

“When I did the deal with Immovate we talked about guaranteeing what the future of the RVT was all about. They were fully committed to its future but they have not been given the respect to put that message over.

“As part of the plans they wanted to create a new wine and champagne bar on the first level and more of a theatre space to bring in more people, and that now can’t happen.

“I will do what I can to ensure it keeps trading but the commercial reality is that it needs a new roof, new windows and new toilets and this listing will make it more costly.”

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