Westminster Labour has challenged Westminster Council’s plans to spend £94m of public money on building a new casino near Leicester Square in London’s West End. The new casino will form part of the redevelopment of Huguenot House on Oxendon Street, near Leicester Square.

Today’s Huguenot House contains a cinema and car park on the lower floors with residential flats above. The ruling Conservative councillors in Westminster looked at seven different options for the block and chose one involving complete redevelopment, featuring a new casino at ground floor level, as well as additional offices, retail units, a hotel and replacement housing.

Councillor Geoff Barraclough, shadow cabinet member for planning said;

“This plan might have made sense in 2019 but post-pandemic, the West End has way more office and retail space than it needs. It’s baffling that Westminster Council still thinks building commercial space is a good use of public money. How on earth will we get our £94m back?”

Councillor Aicha Less, shadow chair of licensing said;

“It’s astonishing that Westminster proposes to break its own policy by approving yet another gambling venue. We should be investing in our communities, not encouraging people to risk their hard-earned cash on games of chance.”

Full consultation document with the seven options for Huguenot House.

https://www.westminster.gov.uk/media/document/huguenot-house-consultation-materials-bookletpdf

Cabinet member decision to proceed with the casino option. https://westminster.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s41113/Huguenot%20House%20CMR%20-%20PWF%20-%20Mar%2021.pdf