Consulate General of Brazil slams plans to put strip club underneath building as ‘inconsistent’ with Vienna Convention

By Hannah Neary, Local Democracy Reporter

Brazilian diplomats are unhappy with plans to put a new strip club below its London consulate.

Plans to hold late-night strip teases under the Brazilian diplomatic building were dubbed “absolutely inappropriate” by the country.

Clarmans Clubs wants to open a full nudity strip club in the basement of 3-4 Vere Street in Westminster and a “high-class” restaurant on the ground floor of the six-storey building.

But the Consulate General of Brazil has slammed the plans, claiming that granting a licence would be “inconsistent” with Vienna Convention commitments.

They said in a letter to the council: “We find it absolutely inappropriate to allow a sexual entertainment venue to be established in the same building where consular functions are regularly exercised and through which circulate children, elderly and vulnerable people every day.

“Not to mention the clear inconsistency that there would be between the granting of the required licence and the commitment undertaken by parties to the Vienna Convention to co-operate for the adequate performance of functions by consular posts.”

The building’s upper floors have been used by Brazilian officials for the past 15 years, while the ground floor was most recently a Lebanese restaurant.

The site has never hosted a sexual entertainment venue before, according to a report by Westminster City council.

The report said there will be no signs advertising the strip club if it goes ahead, a maximum of 110 visitors will be allowed and performers won’t be able to use the main entrance doors to the building.

It adds: “Relevant entertainment will only be provided in the basement accessed via a separate and discreet entrance.”

The New West End company, a local business partnership, also objected to the plans, arguing new premises “should contribute to the overall global appeal of the district as a world class shopping and entertainment district”.

They added: “We do not believe that a sex entertainment club contributes to this vision. Indeed, we are concerned that allowing it, and setting a precedent, would significantly damage the area.”

The report said the company surveyed 300 local residents and found “the majority of respondees did not express any concerns about the application proposals in the local area”.

It also said Clarmans Clubs is investing £4 million in the new venture, which is expected to create 100 jobs.

Clarmans Clubs first applied for a licence to hold stripteases from 10am to 5am Monday to Saturday and until midnight on Sundays.

But it later changed the hours to 11pm to 2am Monday to Tuesday and 11pm to 5am Wednesday to Saturday, with no performances planned for Sundays.

A report by lawyers Thomas & Thomas Partners, working for the applicant, said: “Having considered your concerns, our client has decided to scale back this proposal by restricting relevant entertainment to the basement floor only. The ground floor will now be operated as a high-class restaurant by a Michelin star chef.”

Westminster City Council’s licensing committee will decide whether the strip club can go ahead on Thursday August 25.

Pictured top: 3-4 Vere Street in Westminster, London (Picture: Google)