An application to secure a licence for a late-night private members club in West Ealing has been withdrawn amid local backlash to plans. The application sought permission for The Angels Club at 25, The Broadway, to sell alcohol until 3.30am and remain open until 4am. The venue had also proposed offering belly dancing performances in the basement below Merkur Slots, which is not associated with the application.
Third attempt rejected
It was the third time such an application had been submitted by the club, with the hearing planned to go ahead on Wednesday, June 10. However, the licensing meeting was cancelled after Ealing Council received an email from the representative for the club stating "my client does not wish to proceed with the hearing".
The premises sits beneath Merkur Slots and is accessed via a narrow alleyway leading to Maitland Yard and Leeland Terrace. The withdrawal will be music to the ears of local residents, 17 of whom objected to the application, alongside licensing officers, the Metropolitan Police, and the Walpole Residents' Association.
Police concerns over dancer safety
In a written representation, the Metropolitan Police said it saw "no evidence that the premises can ensure… safety of the dancers." It said: "This is a huge area of genuine concern and may not align with the borough's tough stance on MVAWG (Male Violence Against Women and Girls). The provisions put in place are impractical and we are not convinced they would work."
On a site visit in April 2026, police officers raised concerns that dancers would have no private changing area, instead waiting opposite a single toilet used by attendees, leaving them exposed to unwanted contact.
Ealing Council licensing officers argued that the application was of "particular concern" given the premises' location within a "high-risk area" which is already subject to the issues of crime, disorder and public nuisance. These concerns were shared by the Walpole Residents' Association which argued that the nature of the premises was "essentially unchanged" since the previous rejections in 2024.
Resident objections
One resident emailed Ealing Council worried that if granted, the premises would cause amplified noise and disturbance. They added: "There is a particular concern that residents, especially women and other vulnerable individuals, may feel intimidated or unsafe when passing through the alleyway during operational hours."
The application avoided describing the venue as a nightclub, instead describing it as a "members only lounge" with a maximum capacity of 35 people. However, concerns were raised by objectors around how the premises could enforce a members only policy, and how it would distinguish non-members.
No specific reason is given for the withdrawal in the publicly available documents.
