A jazz club branded ‘the most famous in the world’ will open in Covent Garden weeks after its owners launched a legal battle against Westminster City Council.
The Blue Note Jazz club has been granted permission for a 350-seater venue in the basement of the St Martin's Lane hotel, open until 1am seven days a week.
It is an offshoot of the renowned Blue Note in New York, which opened in 1981 and is often dubbed the most famous jazz club in the world.
The decision comes after the owners of the proposed jazz club, near Leicester Square, launched a legal fight after Westminster council said it would have to adhere to the "core hours" policy, which says any new pubs, bars, fast food, music and dance venues wanting to open in much of Soho must close by 11.30pm on weekdays, midnight on Friday and Saturday an 10.30pm on Sunday.
Steven Bensusan, president of Blue Note Entertainment Group and son of the original Blue Note Cafe founder Danny Bensusan, previously told Sky News he had been left questioning support for live music in the capital after his late licence application was turned down.
"If they're not giving us a late licence, I can't imagine how they would be supportive of other smaller venues, which are important for the ecosystem in general,” he quipped.
But Westminster City Council granted the famous jazz club a license on Thursday, adding that it wanted “to ensure late night entertainment can continue to thrive”.
Councillor Geoff Barraclough, in charge of planning and economic development at Westminster City Council, said: This is exactly the kind of venue we want to see more of in Westminster and which is encouraged in our After Dark strategy as part of a more varied evening and night time offer across the city. As a jazz lover I can’t wait to visit.”
The council recently launched its first “After Dark” strategy amid concerns the capital’s nightlife is being crushed by bureaucracy and spiralling costs.
The town hall said the draft policy aims to “champion sensory-friendly and inclusive entertainment - encouraging venues to host ‘quiet nights’ with reduced noise levels, dimmed lighting, and designated calm zones”.
Soho has been London's main entertainment district since the 19th Century and is home to some of the most famous nightclubs, theatres and LGBTQ and music venues in the country. But the local authority is increasingly having to juggle objections from landlords over stricter licensing conditions and noise complaints from residents.
A Westminster City Council spokesperson said: “Every licensing decision is carefully considered, based on the evidence presented to committee and keeping in mind the needs of residents.
In this case, it was clear that venue management have engaged extensively with local people to improve their application and address the concerns that were raised by the police.
“We’re pleased that, following the approval of this application, jazz lovers will soon be able to enjoy the Blue Note Jazz Club.”
Scotland Yard had previously objected to the venue’s bid to be allowed to stay open and serve alcohol until 1am, saying they believed it “could add to crime, disorder and public nuisance” in the West End.
Officers told Westminster City Council that they believed the late hours would “expose more people to crime and disorder in the immediate area”.
They said jazz fans “leaving the venue late at night” may become a target for illegal taxis who “prey on vulnerable, intoxicated lone females”, as well being targeted for mobile phone snatches.
The concern was echoed by a resident who asked councillors to limit the venue’s hours to 11pm to protect “vulnerable” jazz enthusiasts from criminals operating in the West End.
The unnamed resident wrote: “It is suggested that it is extremely likely that some of the dispersing jazz lovers may be inebriated to a greater or lesser extent or perhaps slightly disorientated by their emergence into the cool night air.
“They will be immediately vulnerable to the gangs of criminals who already prey on similar groups of people in the Soho area.”
The team behind the venue had previously urged councillors to allow it to open until 1am, saying it was “integral” to its functioning as a live jazz club.
They said: “London’s cultural fabric is on the line here. Grassroot music venue infrastructure will fall even further and remain below replacement rate if new venues like this application are not supported.”
They added that the proposed location - which was formerly a gym until its closure in 2023 - has been lying empty.
According to research carried out by the Mayor of London’s office, the number of grassroots music venues in the capital plummeted from 144 in 2007 to just 94 in 2016.
The Music Venue Trust in March last year estimated around one grassroots venue was closing per week on average nationally, with its research showing that in 2022 “the number of shows taking place at grassroots level fell by 16.9%, representing a significant threat to the talent pipeline”.
The first Blue Note venue was opened in New York in 1981 by owner Danny Bensusan and has played host to many famous names in the genre.
Other outlets have been established in Los Angeles, Rio and Milan, among other locations.
