A planning application has been submitted to transform the site of the 2015 Hatton Garden jewelry heist into a robbery-themed bar. The proposal, lodged with Camden Council by landlord Pearl & Coutts, has been met with strong criticism from local jewelers who have branded the idea 'ghoulish' and 'completely inappropriate'.
The 2015 heist saw a gang of six elderly burglars, dubbed the 'Diamond Wheezers,' steal an estimated £14 million worth of gems, cash, and valuables from a bank deposit vault in Hatton Garden, London's primary diamond and jewelry district. The perpetrators gained access through a lift shaft and drilled through the vault walls.
The proposed bar would occupy the basement space where the vault is located. Plans also include the closure of E Katz & Co, a jewelry shop situated above the vault. This shop, founded in 1946 by Holocaust survivor Emil Katz, would be replaced by a stairwell and lift access to the basement. The business is currently run by Emil's son, George Katz, who began working at the firm nearly 70 years ago.
George Katz expressed his dismay, stating that the robbery ruined many livelihoods, as most safe deposit box holders lacked insurance. He mentioned that one individual reportedly took their own life due to the financial devastation caused by the heist. "People had such a setback. I believe one person actually took their own life because his whole business was ruined," he told the Islington Tribune.
Henig Diamonds, another business in Hatton Garden, warned that approving such plans could lead to further changes in land use, gradually diminishing the concentration of jewelry businesses in the area. Simon Loubskey added that replacing E Katz & Co and an established workshop with a bar celebrating the robbery would be a "travesty for the Hatton Garden."
The planning application notes that the site is largely vacant storage space, including the existing vault, and a small jewelry workshop. Original features from the heist, such as a broken door gate and a hole drilled in the wall, are slated to remain as part of the bar's theme. Despite the change in use, the planning proposal states the retail unit's exterior will retain its appearance to preserve the area's character.
A spokesperson for Camden Council stated that the council aims to protect existing businesses and Hatton Garden's heritage as a jewelry center. The consultation period for the application closed on August 30, 2026, and officers are assessing it against development plan policies and public feedback.
Of the £14 million stolen, only approximately £4.47 million has been recovered. The whereabouts of the remaining loot remain unknown, particularly after the death of alleged mastermind Brian 'The Guvnor' Reader in September 2023. Reader died of cancer, having paid back only a small fraction of his multi-million pound share.
