Westminster City councillors have approved plans for New York's iconic Blue Note jazz club to open its first London venue in the basement of St Martins Lane Hotel, bringing world-class jazz to the heart of the West End. The decision, made at a Planning Sub-Committee meeting last night, moves the club closer to a full opening after it secured a premises licence last May.
Venue details and operations
The site, previously occupied by Gymbox until 2023, is currently vacant. Once operational, Blue Note London will offer sit-down food and drink alongside two ticketed shows per evening, seven days a week. The club's website currently states Blue Note London is “coming soon”.
Objections and community concerns
The proposal received several objections during consultation, including from the Covent Garden Community Association, which initially raised concerns about noise and residential amenity. However, an officer presenting the application noted the association had since withdrawn its objection. Lorna Richardson, from the Westminster Quakers, which has a base near the proposed club, expressed concerns about noise from plant machinery. “Quakers have been worshipping in silence from our current Hop Gardens site for more than 140 years,” she said. “But we are not actually asking for silence or anything close. We are just asking for assurances that the baseline noise levels won’t rise in this little pocket of relative quiet in Covent Garden.” Richardson added the group does not want to delay the opening but seeks a commitment to input if issues arise.
Council response and approval
A council officer responded that an initial noise impact survey is acceptable, with a condition requiring a post-completion assessment to check levels; if too loud, sound could be reduced. Members unanimously backed the application, granting opening hours until 1am, with all shows finished by 11.45pm.
Blue Note's legacy and impact
David Goldstein, London Operating Partner for Blue Note, told members the business has been family-owned since 1981. “Over four decades Blue Note has hosted an extraordinary roll call of artists, including Ben E. King, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Tony Bennett, Prince, Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, and Norah Jones to name only a few,” he said. Goldstein called the opening a “landmark moment for the UK’s live music scene and a tremendous cultural addition to the West End. It would in part reverse a trend of live music venues closing down and leaving the West End.”
