An immersive experience venue based on the hit television show Traitors is planned for Shorts Gardens in Covent Garden, after Camden Council's planning committee considered an application for a change of use at 60-70 Shorts Gardens.
The application sought retrospective permission for the change of use of the lower and upper basement, ground and mezzanine floors to an immersive experience venue, with associated ancillary facilities including a bar area, retail, and office space. The applicant, Venues Everywhere Limited, is seeking a change of use from flexible restricted uses within non-residential institutions, assembly and leisure, restaurant and café / drinking establishment and offices to interactive entertainment which includes immersive experiences containing team challenges.
The planning officer, Elaine Quigley, recommended that conditional planning permission be granted subject to a Section 106 Legal Agreement.
The site is located within the Seven Dials Covent Garden Area and includes a number of listed buildings. The application building itself makes a positive contribution to the character and appearance of the conservation area.
One objection was received from a local resident in Betterton Street, raising concerns about the impact on neighbouring amenity. However, planning officers considered that the potential disturbance arising from the proposed use and from customers entering and vacating the site was limited, and that an operational management plan would be secured to help ensure the use operates as intended and to mitigate any potential amenity issues.
The development includes 89.5 sq. m of office space at upper ground floor level used by the staff. The proposed loss of 167.5 sq. m of office space was deemed acceptable given that 2,000 sq. m of new office floorspace is retained on the upper floors of the building from a previous consent.
Conditions attached to the permission include:
- Restricting the restaurant area to no more than 100 square metres.
- Restricting the bar area to no more than 100 square metres.
- Ensuring no music or amplified sound is audible from adjoining residential premises or the highway.
- Restricting operating hours.
- Requiring noise insulation.
- Restricting the hours of operation of kitchen extract equipment.
- Retaining the 26 commercial cycle parking spaces approved under a previous application.
- Restricting deliveries and servicing hours.
Documents relating to the meeting, including the agenda and reports pack, are available on the council website.