City of Westminster (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Plans have been submitted to replace a former Westminster City Council nightclub and restaurant in the London Trocadero with a two-storey casino.
According to a proposal submitted to Westminster City Council, the casino will serve up to 1,250 patrons and feature a brand-new restaurant on the ground level of the Trocadero building on Coventry Street in the West End.
The eatery will be accessible to both guests and gamblers and will be located outside from the casino. The national casino operator Genting Casinos UK Ltd. presented the proposal, which calls for replacing the Bestmart entrance and souvenir store on Coventry Street with a new shopfront and entrance.
Rupert Street will see two new storefronts, while Lyons Corner will see new double-glazed windows. This new unit would include casino floorspace at the basement, part ground, and first floor levels, and it would be connected internally by new stairs and an elevator.
The plans were challenged by the Soho Society, which claimed that opening another sizable “alcohol-led” gambling establishment nearby may encourage more antisocial behavior. They claimed that Coventry Street already faces issues with littering, noise pollution, and pedestrian traffic, in addition to an excessive number of late-night establishments.
Genting Casinos denies that alcohol will be served at the event. “Highly regulated and subject to an operational management plan” is how it described the casino.
According to Westminster City planning officials, a new casino wouldn’t negatively impact the area’s purpose and character. They claimed that because casinos are subject to stringent licensing requirements, they have a history of causing minimal disturbances.
Many “high-spirited or rowdy persons” are not drawn to casinos, they added.
They wrote:
“Given the fact that the casino would replace a long-standing nightclub use, that it would be controlled by the Operational Management Plan and the strict legislation of the Gambling Acts, it is considered that the proposal is acceptable and would be consistent with the relevant policies in the City Plan.”
Opium nightclub used to be located there, however it closed in 2019 after a clubber was shot twice outside the establishment. The Bubba Gump restaurant used to be located on the property.
The application will be reviewed by the Planning Committee of Westminster City Council on Tuesday, September 30.
What planning permissions are required for the Trocadero casino development?
The change of use and refurbishment works, including the construction of the casino and leisure facilities, will require approval from the City of Westminster’s planning authority.
Because the Trocadero complex includes Grade II listed buildings in the Soho Conservation Area, these buildings will require special consent for any works affecting the architectural or historic interest of the buildings.
Conditions of planning permission might be supported by legal agreements to secure financial contributions to local carbon offsetting initiatives, employment and training schemes, and monitoring costs.