Bid to renew sex licence at famous striptease club meeting resistance

An iconic striptease venue in Soho is fighting to renew its sex licence after objectors said it was located too close to a primary school and church.

The landlord of The Windmill Theatre, just off Piccadilly Circus, has also applied for a shadow licence, allowing them to take over operations if the current tenant is forced out or leaves, documents submitted to Westminster City council show.

According to its website, the theatre, now known as the Windmill Soho, offers customers Michelin-star grade food and cocktail bars while they enjoy cabaret performances.

The venue then transforms into a nightclub after 11pm, and the application states that it offer ‘full nudity striptease’ between the hours of 9am-5am Monday to Saturday and between 9am-3am on Sunday.

The landlord, Rkw Ltd, has applied to renew its sex entertainment venue (SEV) licence with no changes to opening times but objectors say it shouldn’t be allowed to. One objector said the noise created by staff and guests leaving the venue has caused ‘upset and disgust’ for pupils and parishioners in the area.

The club is less than 300 feet away from Soho Parish Primary School. The objector, a parishioner of St Peter’s Church, wrote: “The disruption and public nuisance the premises already causes is enough and this licence will cause further disruption, to the local community and a rise in antisocial behaviour and crime.”

Another said: “As a Soho resident, I strongly reject this application. We definitely do not need any further SEV license and no further antisocial behaviour that this will bring to our neighbourhood.”

They claimed there are ‘touts’ on every corner of Soho trying to lure people into strip clubs. They said: “We do not need more pestering and intimidation.”

The council’s own environmental health team opposed the application for a shadow licence. The landlord has since promised to stop the shadow licence taking effect when the current licence is in operation, has expired or lapsed or been surrendered or revoked.

The Windmill Theatre had its sexual entertainment venue licence refused for renewal in 2018. It was reinstated in 2022 after an application by Molendinum Limited and was renamed the Windmill Soho. The licence was then transferred to Immerse London Ltd. It has been operating an SEV since 2012.

Windmill Soho claims it is one of Soho’s ‘longest standing venues’ having first opened its doors in 1931 and is owned by pub chain Greene King. Tables can cost between £33 and £83 to reserve. According to its website, the nightclub runs until 3am on Saturdays.

According to its application to the council, the Windmill Theatre offers ‘full nudity entertainment’ as well as stage dancing, pole and table dancing and lap dances.

Westminster City council will consider the application during a licensing meeting tomorrow.

Pictured top: The Windmill Theatre (Picture: Google Street View)