The Top Secret Comedy Club, a London venue that has hosted stars including Rob Beckett and Katherine Ryan, is seeking to open a new site just off Fleet Street. The club has filed a licensing application with the City of London Corporation for the basement and sub-basement at 10 Fetter Lane, a former gym that has been vacant for more than five years.
The proposed venue would have a total capacity of over 500 people across two spaces. The licensing request asks for permission to sell alcohol and host shows until midnight seven days a week, with closing time half an hour later. These hours are intended to provide flexibility and allow attendees to disperse gradually, though events would not necessarily run until then. A separate planning application would also be required to change the venue's use before the club could open.
Objections from Pollution Control
The licensing proposal was opposed by the Corporation's Pollution Control team, which raised concerns about the impact on residents in St Dunstan's House and Cliffords Inn. Claire Callan-Day, an Environmental Health Technician, wrote that a "significant number" of the 176 residential flats are likely to be affected by noise from the new venue.
Ms Callan-Day wrote: "For much of the time when the venue is in use patrons will be contained inside, watching shows. When people exit the premises, either to wait outside during a break or when they disperse from the premises at the end of their evening, they are likely to be in high spirits, recounting particularly funny lines from the shows, etc."
She added that alcohol is likely to elevate the noise generated, and that in her opinion the site's proximity to the homes means it is "not suitable to be licensed for use as a comedy club".
Support from Fleet Street Quarter BID
However, Fleet Street Quarter BID, established in 2022 to represent local businesses, backed the application. Lady Lucy French, the BID's Chief Executive, wrote that while residents live nearby, "the Club is at basement and sub-basement level and has applied for licensing hours that are shorter than those enjoyed by adjacent pub The Editor's Tap. These would seem to reduce the likelihood of any significant impact."
Lady French also noted the proposal appears to align with the Corporation's Destination City programme to diversify the Square Mile's offerings, and that Fleet Street itself is changing with projects such as Salisbury Square and the retrofit of the former Daily Telegraph building. She said: "I sincerely believe that the proposed Comedy Club will complement the new developments currently under construction and others planned for the area and will help create a new Fleet Street business district as a desirable location for businesses to locate in, residential to live and visitors to stay in and experience."
Sub-Committee Meeting
At a Corporation Licensing Sub-Committee meeting on Tuesday, Ms Callan-Day reiterated her concerns about the impact on residents. She was joined by Alderwoman Martha Grekos, who represents the Castle Baynard ward, who said: "It's a really quiet area. There's hardly any traffic. Even though it's Fetter Lane and Fleet Street, there's hardly any traffic over there. The background noise is also very quiet and you can hear people speaking or their footsteps if you're walking around there in the evening, or even during the day."
The character of the area was disputed by the applicant's team, who pointed to measurements from Fetter Lane suggesting background noise was louder than dispersal times at the club's Drury Lane venue. Felix Faulkner, legal counsel for the applicant, said the proposal is not for "a wet-led late-night bar or a noisy nightclub. It's a well-led professional comedy club looking to bring more culture and variety to the area and its residents."
Mark Rothman, Founder of the Top Secret Comedy Club, said events would be staggered to prevent congregating or too many people leaving at once. He told the sub-committee he would be willing to negotiate on opening hours, noting the flexibility was needed to accommodate larger acts. "You might have Ricky Gervais, you might have Romesh Ranganathan, you might have Russell Howard say 'I want to try this, can I come at this time'. And it might only happen once a year. But it'd be nice to have the freedom to be able to showcase something like that, or Dave Chappelle comes from America sometimes."
Ms Callan-Day remained unconvinced, saying that due to the proximity of the flats and the fact many face onto Fetter Lane there is a "significant risk" of public nuisance. A decision on the licensing application is due to be issued within five working days of Tuesday's meeting.
