New powers that let the Mayor of London overrule councils on licensing decisions take power away from local people rather than bringing it closer to them, Cllr Tim Barnes, Deputy Leader of Westminster City Council, has told BBC News.
Sadiq Khan can now call in licensing applications he deems strategically important to London, review council decisions and make the final ruling. Councils will also have to consult him when they revise their licensing policies, and City Hall can make formal representations on applications.
“Devolution means taking power down so it’s closer to the people,” Cllr Barnes said. “This is taking powers that the council has and taking them upwards into the mayor. There is no reason for doing it.”
Cllr Barnes, who represents the West End ward, warned that the proposed definition of a “strategic” application is so broad it could cover nearly 80% of licensed premises in Westminster. He described the move as “much more like a land grab by the mayor to try and take control of ever more things into his empire rather than a use of any powers that actually is trying to solve a problem”.
Westminster already approves about 98.5% of valid licensing applications. Cllr Barnes pointed out that the Mayor would still be bound by the same licensing objectives as councils. He added that the challenges in busy nightlife areas such as the West End are less about licensing rules and more about having enough police and resources to manage crowds and anti-social behaviour.
“There isn’t really a huge amount of difference that the mayor taking on any more could make,” he said.
The changes come a week after a Budget billed as a push for devolution. London Councils, which represents the capital’s boroughs, has also said devolution “should come as close as possible to communities”.
