Iceni Projects is pleased to announce that it has secured planning consent for a major live music venue in London’s West End, on behalf of Consolidated Developments Ltd.

Plans for the 2000-capacity basement venue at St Giles Circus have now been recommended for approval by Camden Council. This marks the end of a decade-long gap in London’s night-time economy. There has not been a major live music venue in London’s West End since the London Astoria closed in 2007.

The venue is part of the £90m St Giles Circus redevelopment, designed by architecture firm Orms. Originally, consented in 2015, the scheme includes two new buildings on St Giles High Street, Andrew Borde Street and Charing Cross Road, as well as the refurbishment of two listed buildings on Denmark Place.

Anna Snow, Director, Iceni Projects, said:

“This part of London has been crying out for a large, live music venue for years. It will be a huge boost to the night-time economy, something we know is a priority for London’s new Mayor.

“With the 24-hour Tube up and running, and Crossrail expected to be completed in two years, the infrastructure is in place to cope with the venue. We are glad that Camden Council agreed that the time was right and have relaxed their initial restrictions.”

The plans for St Giles Circus were granted planning consent in 2015 by Camden Council subject to a number of operational restrictions. Over the past six months, Iceni Projects has worked closely with planning officers at Camden Council to justify the relaxation of these controls to make the 2000-capacity live music venue possible.

In addition to this live music venue, the larger of the two new buildings in the scheme will include a publically accessible curated space. This 100,000 square foot space will offer a mix of digital uses for brand launches and exhibitions, as well as a new 800-capacity music venue at basement level.

The smaller, 50,000 square foot, building will include a mix of retail, leisure, and office space, with a rooftop bar.

In their report, Camden Council said:
“The increase to the capacity of the basement venue is crucial to Camden’s night-time economy and provides a larger venue space for community events, exhibitions, product launches, live music, awards ceremonies, conferences and fashion shows.”