Westminster stands firm as Sadiq Khan calls for licensing rethink
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has written to Westminster City Council urging it to rethink proposed changes to licensing policy in the West End, arguing the approach treats London's nightlife as a "luxury" rather than the asset it is. He argues that decisions under the current system favour a small number of vocal residents over the wider economic and cultural benefits nightlife brings to the city, and has specifically asked the council to drop a proposed presumption against granting new licences across Soho, Leicester Square and the surrounding cumulative impact zone.
Cllr Paul Swaddle, Leader of Westminster City Council, was clear in response: "there is no plan" to stop people standing up to drink in the borough's pubs and bars. The council's draft policy is instead aimed at discouraging excessive drunkenness and easing pressure on crowded pavements, not banning standing altogether.
Cllr Tim Barnes, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Growth and Planning, went further, arguing the real issues facing the hospitality trade are rising costs, police funding cuts and unreliable late night transport, all of which he says sit with the Mayor's office rather than the council. Downing Street also weighed in on the council's side, with a spokesperson saying a busy pub scene isn't a nuisance but simply part of British life, and that Soho's reputation was never built on early closing times.
Westminster is now legally required to consult the Mayor on licensing policy following legislation passed earlier this year, though he cannot yet overrule the council's decisions directly.
Council urged to rethink curbs on nightlife in London's West End
The Mayor of London wrote in a letter to Westminster City Council that its proposed licensing policy would undermine his efforts to support London's pubs by treating the city's nightlife as a "luxury".
Councillor Tim Barnes, deputy leader of Westminster City Council and cabinet member for growth and planning, said:
"We talk to pub and bar owners all the time, and their real issue is not licensing - it is the ever-mounting costs being loaded on them by central government, with venues facing rising bills and the increasing cost of employing staff.
"Cuts to policing mean people are worried about safety when they go out and an inadequate public transport network which doesn't allow them to go home when it gets late. Both of these are squarely the responsibility of the Mayor's office.
"If the Mayor was genuinely interested in helping the pub industry rather than simply a relentless power grab of licensing laws, he would address the real challenges to the industry."
