Key facts
- London Mayor Sadiq Khan has ordered Westminster Council to scrap a proposed licensing policy.
- The policy would have banned new pubs and restaurants from opening in Soho and the West End.
- Khan stated the policy was skewed towards a few residents and detrimental to London's economy and culture.
- New venues would have faced restrictions on 'vertical drinking' and early closing times.
- Khan utilized new powers to intervene in licensing decisions for the first time.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has ordered Westminster Council to abandon a controversial licensing policy that would have effectively banned new pubs and restaurants from opening in Soho and the West End. Khan described the proposed policy as skewed towards a few vocal residents and detrimental to London's economy and culture.
Khan, utilizing new powers granted to the Mayor of London this year, formally responded to the council's consultation, directing them to remove the "cumulative impact zone" designation for Soho and the West End. This designation meant new venues could only open under exceptional circumstances, despite the area being a popular nightlife destination. The draft policy also proposed "core hours" for venues, with last orders at 10pm for pubs and 11:30pm/midnight for nightclubs on weekdays and weekends respectively.
Data cited by Khan indicated a significant drop in new licence applications in the area, with only 41 applications made and 16 granted in 2023-24, and only 3.5% of applications approved as submitted between 2023 and 2026. Pub and wine bar applications specifically were down 80% in 2022-24. Khan is urging the council to adopt a more enabling approach, similar to Manchester City Council, which supports economic growth and has no cumulative impact policy or core hours restrictions.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham also weighed into the debate, stating that standing up to drink in pubs is part of "British life" and should not be curtailed.