Soho House is asking for stricter conditions on its licence around drugs and opening hours after a police review.
The exclusive members-only club wants to add conditions to require it to keep any drugs seized in a locked box, to have a standalone illegal substances and search policy, to regularly check the toilets and to identify intoxicted or drugged customers and help them.
Another condition requires it to adhere to its opening hours.
The licence was granted in March 2022. It’s not clear what prompted the review, but Sussex Police say there are no live criminal investigations linked to the venue.
However, the council said it had inadvertently opened in breach of its licensed hours over New Year’s Eve, as had several Brighton venues.
A spokeswoman for Soho House said: “Through our continued partnership with Brighton and Hove City Council, we agree with the suggested variations to our licence, especially those in support of the city’s continued efforts to combat illegal drug use.
“Soho House has always had a zero-tolerance drugs policy that all members, guests and employees must adhere to, and these variations make our existing comprehensive drugs and illegal substance policy even more robust.”
A spokeswoman for Sussex Police said: “Sussex Police’s licensing team work closely with venues in the city to ensure their licensing objectives are upheld.
“Following a recent review of the licence conditions at Soho House by Sussex Police’s licensing team, additional voluntary conditions have been applied for by the premises licence holder.
“There are no live criminal investigations linked to the venue.”
The chair of the council’s licensing committee Councillor Emma Daniel said: “As New Year’s Eve fell on a Sunday, some licensed premises including Soho House forgot to apply for a temporary event notice.
“Having looked into the situation, we believe that in this instance it was an oversight rather than an attempt to circumvent the law.
“We’re working with Soho House and the police in order to promote licensing objectives.”
It’s pathetic that these rich entitled poseurs can’t stop stuffing coke up their noses to get through an evening
Snotty stuck up place, I thought it was a hotel and went for a job there walked straight out.
Defo some weird shit going on there as a few I saw behaviour was not that of just a few lunch time bevies.
They picked the right place to be!!!
“There are no live criminal investigations linked to the venue.”
It’s commendable that Soho House is taking steps to combat drug issues around their establishment. However, the focus should extend beyond the club itself. The local council and police must urgently address the prevalence of drug use in housing accommodations like William Collier House, Steine House run by the Y.M.C.A, and various homeless shelters. Residents in these locations face overdoses, yet the lack of repercussions allows this problem to persist. The resulting harassment to nearby residents and the need for unsightly locked gates in local parks highlight the urgency of comprehensive efforts to eliminate drug-related concerns in the broader community. It’s crucial for all stakeholders to work together to create a safer environment for everyone.
Big aspect is that all the related services are centralised near there, so naturally that comes with the service users. And like to you say, WC being nearby as well is a big influence.
There are a million things that Soho House does that are amazing (free networking via an app, comedy, ballroom dance lessons, talks from awesome sports stars, chefs, yoga, sauna, gym, book launches, art and photography launches, under 30s creatives get cheap membership, 25% discount on food and drinks plus a much needed place to hold meetings and showcase work. It tends to be envious people who don’t qualify for membership (suites and corporate types) that have an imaginary axe to grind. Why don’t they stay in their big plush offices or seek out members’ clubs that fit their profile and profession instead of criticising Soho House?
Shame it didn’t get closed. Nasty staff work there.
Tell me you didn’t read the article, without telling me you didn’t read the article! 😀
Haha. It’s pretty obvious that those who are commenting have never been to this venue, and have no clue what they’re talking about. Soho House Brighton is only busy during the day, mostly with laptop workers and yummy mummy’s having brunch and drinking kale smoothies. It’s very quiet in the evenings, and more like a sleepy bar than anything else. This is the least druggy venue in Brighton. I’m not surprised the Police said they have no investigations linked to the venue.