Closure of Trocadero Underground, a public space used by dancers in central London has sparked protest after the property owners blocked access last week.

In the space of five days a Facebook page set up to raise awareness has gained in excess of 4,500 likes with over 2,500 online signatures on the website Change.org and 700 collected signatures gathered to keep the space open for an extended period, gathering pace as word spreads to international dancers that have used the space.

Trocadero Underground is a space between Piccadilly Circus underground station and the Trocadero Entertainment complex, free for anyone that wants to practice, and was often used to hold free dance events. Over the coming months the site and other retail units based in the space will be closing ahead of being converted into a hotel.

Trocadero is to close permanently on 25 February with two week’s notice, with barriers having been installed for the dancing space and remaining units to follow ahead of developers moving in.

Plans to create a hotel with around 470 rooms on the Trocadero site were originally granted planning permission by Westminster Council in 2008 and 2010 after Criterion Capital bought the site in 2005.

The signatures will be presented to Criterion Capital to persuade them to keep the space open or find an alternative space for dancers to use. The Trocadero petition can be found here.

Watch a short documentary on Trocadero Underground below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUUEY5krBcs

The save Trocadero Facebook page can be found below.