Criticism of Westminster's draft licensing policy has continued to mount, drawing comment from Downing Street, the Mayor of London and Labour MP Dawn Butler among others. Westminster City Council has responded by firmly rejecting any suggestion that it plans to stop people standing up to drink in pubs across the West End and Soho.
Cllr Tim Barnes, the council's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Growth and Planning, argues the criticism comes from reading isolated clauses rather than the policy as a whole. "It is utterly ludicrous to suggest the Council is planning to ban standing," he said. The real purpose of the guidance, he explained, is simply to stop pavements becoming overcrowded and to limit disturbance from excessive drinking. He also pointed out the council turns down less than 1.5% of licence applications across roughly 4,000 licensed venues, and recently approved a 24-hour licence extension for the McDonald's on Leicester Square despite objections from the Mayor's police representatives.
Cllr Paul Swaddle, Leader of Westminster City Council, went further, suggesting the Mayor has helped spread the story as part of a broader effort to gain control over licensing decisions in the capital. Under legislation working its way through Parliament, the Mayor is set to gain new powers to block or overrule council licensing decisions for the first time.
Downing Street has weighed in on the council's side of the row, framing a busy pub scene as an ordinary part of British life rather than a nuisance, while the Mayor's office has continued to argue the council's approach falls short of what a world-famous nightlife district needs.
London council calls claims 'standing ban' is planned in pubs across West End and Soho 'ludicrous'
The council faced a pile-on of backlash following claims it planned on banning standing at pubs
The Council said
"Westminster is famous for its fantastic bars & clubs - and we’re consulting on how we can ensure as many people as possible enjoy our nightlife in safety.
“Ignore nonsense headlines about us banning “vertical” drinking - we love our visitors if they are standing or sitting!”
Cllr Tim Barnes, Cabinet Member for Growth and Planning, said the claims are “not true.”
“We’d like to encourage you to come out and have fun at one of the many pubs, bars, [and] restaurants right away across the city, which are here for you to enjoy.
“We just want to make sure you can do that safely.”
Read this article by Niva Yadav for the Standard in full here.
