Westminster City Council's Licensing Sub-Committee (2) has adjourned a hearing for a new premises licence for Leconfield House in Curzon Street. The adjournment was granted to allow one of the objectors' representatives time to recover or find alternative counsel.
The application, made by Leconfield House Ltd, sought a licence for the building to operate as a private office and co-working space with meeting and collaboration facilities. Proposed licensable activities included the sale of alcohol until 1 am daily, late-night refreshment until 5 am, and regulated entertainment in the basement until 1 am.
Significant objections were raised by Environmental Health, the Metropolitan Police (later withdrawn), Chesterfield House Management Ltd, and other residents. Key concerns included public nuisance, particularly noise from late-night operations and patron dispersal, and the potential for the venue to operate as a private members' club rather than a genuine co-working space.
Environmental Health specifically raised concerns that the proposed hours for late-night refreshment and alcohol sales were likely to result in an increase in public nuisance and could adversely impact public safety within the area.
¹
The Metropolitan Police initially objected on the grounds that the application could undermine the Licensing Objective of The Prevention of Crime and Disorder. Their specific concern was regarding the membership scheme and how customers would become members. However, this objection was withdrawn on November 19, 2025, following agreed conditions.
Objectors presented evidence from press articles and promotional material to support their claim that Leconfield House intended to operate as a private members' club. This included a Financial Times article from 10 December 2025 describing plans to launch an ultra-exclusive club
and seeking £500,000 investments from 700 influential businesspeople as founding members, with a total membership aiming for over 14,000. Another Financial Times article on the same date indicated Mr. Tchenguiz's intention to use proceeds to pay off a mortgage and complete the purchase of Royal Pavilion, with promotional material showing founding members owning part of a loan and receiving a perpetual debenture. The Leconfield House website was described as promoting the premises as a beacon of sophistication
and setting out benefits of membership including exclusive dining and an unparalleled social atmosphere
, with no reference to private office or co-working space. Furthermore, a Guardian article reported on plans to convert Leconfield House into a member's club
, with Liz Truss quoted describing the venue as a strategic nexus for a global network for pro-growth leaders
.
Leconfield House Ltd has proposed several measures to mitigate noise concerns. For the basement entertainment space, a noise limiter will be installed to the satisfaction of Environmental Health, and only recorded music and film will be permitted, with live music withdrawn. All windows and external doors must be kept closed after 11 pm, except for access and egress, and the basement capacity is restricted to 60 people.
Use of the 7th-floor terrace will be restricted after 11 pm to those temporarily leaving the premises to smoke, limited to 10 people at any one time, with no food or drink permitted. Staff will oversee terrace use, and planting and screening are proposed along the terrace edge. The terrace is set back and bounded by landscaping.
To manage patron dispersal, a policy is in place to ensure quiet, controlled, and swift dispersal onto Curzon Street. Staff will be aware of local transport links, and signage will request patrons to leave quietly. SIA registered supervisors will be on duty as determined by risk assessment. A dedicated telephone number for the duty manager will be available, and patrons awaiting taxis will wait inside the building lobby. CCTV will monitor departures.
For servicing vehicles, a dedicated, off-street servicing bay via Chesterfield Gardens is planned. Model licence conditions prohibit deliveries and waste collections between 11 pm and 7 am. Waste will be moved and stored internally, only moved to Chesterfield Gardens prior to scheduled collection times.
The committee decided to adjourn the hearing to a further date to allow Mr Grant, representing one of the objectors, to recover or find alternative counsel. Parties were encouraged to liaise with licensing services to arrange a suitable date as soon as possible.
¹ Leconfield House Report Public Part 1 (Page 11)