Plans to turn a former nightclub and restaurant in the London Trocadero into a two-storey casino have been given the green light by planning officers.
The casino will cater for up to 1,250 customers and include a restaurant on the ground floor of the building on Coventry Street in the West End.
The proposal, submitted by national casino operator Genting Casinos UK Ltd, was granted planning permission at a committee meeting on September 30.
In the planning report, Westminster Council notes how the West End has been particularly hard hit by Covid, fueling a need for businesses within the area to be supported to aid their recovery post-pandemic.
A total of 350 jobs including a dedicated six-week Training School for new employees with no prior industry experience or little work experience will be created as a result of the casino.
Plans include a new shopfront and entrance on the street, replacing the souvenir shop and the Bestmart entrance, as well as two new shopfronts along Rupert Street and new double-glazed windows along Lyons corner.
Strong objections were raised by the Soho Society about the impact of another “alcohol-led” gambling venue, warning it could add to existing problems with anti-social behaviour.
They also raised concerns about the over-concentration of late-night entertainment spots.
However, Westminster Council argued the casino would replace a restaurant and nightclub and therefore, the site has already been established for an entertainment purpose.
Genting Casinos denied the venue will be alcohol-led and said it would be "highly regulated and subject to an operational management plan".
Westminster City planning officers said a new casino would not be harmful to the character and function of the area. They said historically, casinos are known to contribute little to disorder because they face a strict licensing regime.
They also said casinos do not attract large groups of "high-spirited or rowdy persons". They added the venue would be replacing a former restaurant and a nightclub which ran to 3am.
The report by Westminster Council states: “The proposal is considered acceptable and would be consistent with the relevant policies in the City Plan 2019-2040 and London Plan 2021. It is recommended that planning permission is granted, subject the conditions listed at the end of this report, which are necessary to make the development acceptable.”
Planning permission was granted subject to conditions. The development has to be carried out in accordance with the drawings and all new work and improvements inside and outside the building must match the existing original adjacent work in terms of “choice of materials, method of construction and finished appearance”.
