London nightclub Heaven has been permitted to re-open tomorrow (December 7) after it was shut down by police last month.
The move came after a woman was allegedly raped “in the vicinity of the venue” by a member of Heaven’s security staff on November 1. The police statement continued that other staff then “allegedly ignored her efforts to report the attack”.
A member of security staff has since been arrested and charged with rape, and is currently on remand in prison.
At the time, Westminster Police noted that there was a previous incident in May when three members of the club’s security team were filmed assaulting a customer in the street.
“These incidents raise serious concerns about the venue’s ability to fulfil its obligations to protect its customers, in particular in relation to safeguarding,” the police statement concluded.
Following a hearing regarding the license suspension today (December 6), Westminster Licensing Sub-Committee has given Heaven permission to re-open. Per the Standard, several new conditions have been implemented, including last entry at 3am, a ban on queue drinking and revamped security. These new measures are all designed to protect “vulnerable” customers being the targets of “opportunist criminals” in the club’s queue.
“There are so many people to thank but I need to spend a few days to get my thoughts together as the last few weeks have been both mentally and physically draining,” the venue wrote on Instagram.
Westminster councillor Maggie Carman, who delivered the decision, agreed with the Met Police that Heaven was “associated with serious crime” and said “the horrific and traumatic incident suffered by the victim” was a vital part of the investigation.
She added: “There has been clear evidence of a change in the general management of the premises. The premises licence holder has also been working in partnership with the Met Police.
They also recognised the importance of Heaven to the LGBTQIA+ community, which was another major reason why the venue was allowed to reopen.
“The police recognise the importance of Heaven to the gay community in London and further afield. Police have never sought the permanent closure of this nightclub,” said the Met Police’s lawyer Gary Grant.
“What the police have done unapologetically is sought to ensure that the sort of incidents which have led us here will not happen again and the sort of risks to the vulnerable people in that queue are reduced.”
Heaven previously said that there was “a lot to be considered & addressed” over the incident. “I ask other venues to learn lessons with us from what has happened at Heaven & work together to do all we can collectively to try and ensure this never happens again.”
Heaven opened in 1979 and became an influential part of London’s LGBTQIA+ scene, hosting the long-running club night G-A-Y. It was also celebrated for Paul Oakenfold’s acid house nights in the late ‘80s and is sometimes credited as the birthplace of ambient house. The Heaven name has also been extended to clubs in Gran Canaria and Ibiza.
In February, the club was reported to be facing closure after a rent increase of £320,000. The owners entered into an arbitration dispute with their landlord, The Arch Company and say they were forced “to go public” with the dispute.
