Westminster council backs high-end strip club despite warnings of rising crime in central London

A new strip club inspired by Penthouse magazine has been approved to open in Soho, offering high-end performances and VIP experiences. Westminster City Council granted The Penthouse Club a sexual entertainment venue licence, citing the operators as experienced and professional.

Set to open at 1-4 Walker’s Court—formerly home to Madame Jojo’s—the venue will feature Cirque du Soleil-style acts, private striptease rooms, and weekly LGBTQI+ performances. Despite objections from locals worried about crime and late-night disturbances, the Metropolitan Police raised no concerns.

Entry will cost £25, while table reservations are priced at £150 per person. The club’s menu includes a £1,000 bottle of Clase Azul Reposado tequila and a £188 Tomahawk steak. Soho Prime Entertainment Ltd plans to invest £8m into the site, creating up to 75 jobs. Performances will include five to ten stage acts per night, with drag shows potentially hosted on Sundays.

The club’s backers, Soho Prime Entertainment Ltd, aim to attract a wealthy clientele, promising a sleek, upscale experience. Representatives assured councillors that robust security measures would be in place, emphasising their global track record of running venues without major incidents. They also stressed plans to appeal to a more diverse crowd, including female guests.

However, some locals strongly opposed the club’s arrival, arguing that it would fuel crime and worsen existing issues with drug dealers and pickpocketing gangs in the area. One resident, who lives above a lap dance bar, claimed the venue would inevitably draw in “cash-loaded” targets for thieves. Critics also warned that the increase in nightlife activity could bring more pedicabs and late-night disturbances to an already congested part of Soho.

Despite the backlash, the council ultimately ruled in favour of the club, concluding that the operators had met the necessary licensing conditions. With work on the £8m renovation now underway, the site—vacant since Madame Jojo’s closed in 2014—is set to transform into one of London’s most exclusive adult entertainment spots.