Ronnie Scott’s boss warns ‘quiet nights’ plan threatens London’s club scene

London’s vibrant nightlife faces a fresh threat after a “vocal minority” of Soho residents lodged noise complaints, the owner of iconic jazz club Ronnie Scott’s warned.

John James warned that growing pressure on Soho’s pubs and clubs to host more “quiet nights” threatens to “kill an international city”, leaving London lagging behind rivals Paris, New York and Milan.

Westminster City Council is now consulting on proposals to encourage quiet and alcohol-free activities after 6pm to make central London more peaceful for residents.

The jazz club owner told The Telegraph: “Every other high street in the land would be deeply envious of what Soho has. And yet we, by the virtue of Westminster City Council becoming restrictive in the granting of planning and licences, are trying to kill off our high street.”

The 72-year-old magnate runs the £1.1bn property empire Soho Estates, built by self-made millionaire and soft-porn tycoon Paul Raymond, the self-styled "King of Soho" who died in 2008.

John James took over from his father-in-law and is preparing to hand over day-to-day running of the business to his daughter Fawn next month.

Mr James, the Soho Business Alliance board member, said: “We cannot be competitive if you listen to a resident who says they want it to be quiet after 11 o’clock at night – not only on a weekday, but weekends, any time.

“Westminster are overly listening to the minority resident view, but it seems to be the one that is listened to more keenly than others. It doesn’t take into account any of the opinions of thousands of visitors.”

In the Westminster After Dark consultation, the council said its policies would help “businesses to thrive, visitors to enjoy the city’s attractions, and residents to get a decent night’s sleep”. Proposals would see central venues close from midnight while “essential services like cleaning and transport take precedence”.

Mr James described one proposal to move the late-night economy to new “entertainment zones” in the Strand, Oxford Street and Victoria as “mind-boggling”, and asked: “Who the hell dreamed this up?”

Businesses in the area would also face a tax on supplying alcohol late at night, aiming to reduce “crime and disorder”. Mr James says that public safety concerns should be met with investment in policing, not restrictions on local businesses.

James Raynor, the chief executive of Grosvenor’s property company, which owns much of nearby Mayfair, told The Telegraph: “If you start to limit those sorts of activities, you’re going to put a lot of businesses out of business. Which is going to make a lot of people unemployed, which is going to cost the country money and not generate tax revenue.”

Mr Raynor, also the incumbent chairman of the Westminster Property Association, added: “Part of the attractiveness of living in [Soho] is being part of it. If people are there and uncomfortable, that’s a shame, you don’t want them to be. [But] it’s a bit like living in Hounslow and then moaning about aeroplanes.”

Geoff Barraclough, a councillor for Westminster and cabinet member for planning and economic development, stated: “The measures we’re consulting on have been designed to add to, not take away from, existing nightlife.

“We want everyone to be able to come to the city and have a great time. Lots of people want to go out for a meal and a few drinks with their friends or go to a club and we’ll support that, even designating new areas for late-night licences.

“We’re looking at creating greater variety, including family-friendly, non-alcoholic alternatives like cinemas and bowling alleys. All of this would be on top of – not instead of – what’s already on offer in the city.”