A FORMER strip club famous for keeping its doors open throughout the Blitz has applied to renew its licence.

Objections have been lodged with Westminster Council over concerns including how the venue will be managed and its proximity to Soho Parish Primary School.

The strip club was granted a new licence in 2023 and operated on Great Windmill Street until September last year, when it closed amid a dispute with its landlord. Adult entertainment venue chain Spearmint Rhino then reopened the venue under the new name Rhino at the Windmill in April.

RKW Limited, which is a subsidiary of Spearmint Rhino, has now submitted an application to Westminster City Council in order to renew the venue’s sexual entertainment licence. A separate application for a licence variation has also been submitted, due to changes to the internal layout of the venue.

One written objection to the application said: “It is well known that the premises has had a difficult recent history, including licence eviction, compliance issues, regulatory intervention, objections from locals and ongoing financial instability.”

Another objector wrote: “It troubles me to think a venue with licensing until 5am will once again be operating in such close proximity to a school.

“Since the previous establishment closed, the atmosphere on Great Windmill Street has improved significantly and it has once again felt like a safe and pleasant environment for residents and families.”

Legal counsel for the applicant, who is represented by PP Keystone Law Ltd, said that they assure residents there will be security and management to ensure the site is well-run. It added that compliance issues were related to when the business was under different management.

A licensing hearing was held yesterday (Thursday).