Westminster City Council has confirmed that the right to stand outside a pub with a pint remains "sacrosanct," following a row over its licensing policy consultation that had been characterised by some as an attempt to ban "vertical drinking" in Soho.
Cllr Tim Barnes, the council's Deputy Leader, told The Times: "Your right to stand in the Dog and Duck and hold forth with a pint is sacrosanct," adding that the council was instead asking new venues to consider where they place tables and chairs in the busiest areas of the West End, and that it would improve how it communicates licensing terms such as "vertical drinking." The council will keep in place its "cumulative impact zone" policy across the West End, under which pubs and bars are considered responsible for antisocial behaviour or crime across the wider area rather than just near their own premises, and will continue to grant new licences outside core hours, which end at 11pm, only in exceptional circumstances.
The council said the biggest single concern raised in its consultation was crime and antisocial behaviour, and called for a reversal of forthcoming cuts to the Metropolitan Police's manpower. It also called on the Mayor of London to help Londoners get home safely at night, including by running the Night Tube on Thursday evenings in addition to Fridays and Saturdays, and by providing more night buses. Cllr Barnes said: "Beyond disagreements over policy jargon there are serious issues acting as a drag on our hospitality industry. A lack of investment in policing has left the Met objecting to many licensing applications over public safety concerns. People struggle to get home from a night out when late-night bus routes have been cut and overnight Tube services are non-existent during the week."
The right to enjoy a pint while standing is sacrosanct, council insists
Westminster had been accused of trying to clamp down on ‘vertical drinking’ in Soho, but now says it just needed to improve its communication
Westminster's Deputy Leader, Cllr Tim Barnes, said:
"Your right to stand in the Dog and Duck and hold forth with a pint is sacrosanct."
"Beyond disagreements over policy jargon there are serious issues acting as a drag on our hospitality industry."
"A lack of investment in policing has left the Met objecting to many licensing applications over public safety concerns. People struggle to get home from a night out when late night bus routes have been cut and overnight Tube services are non-existent during the week."
Read Andy Silvester's article in The Times in full on their website.
