Tim Barnes, deputy leader of Westminster City Council and councillor for the West End ward, said the mayor’s new licensing powers would instead transfer authority from councils to City Hall.
“Devolution means taking power down so it’s closer to the people,” he said. “This is taking powers that the council has and taking them upwards into the mayor.
“There is no reason for doing it.”
Applications deemed “strategic”, and therefore eligible for the mayor to call in, could include large venues, festivals and major events with a significant impact on London’s economy, culture or reputation.
Barnes, however, argued the proposed definition was too broad, claiming 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 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”.
Barnes also questioned what difference the powers would make, noting Westminster approves about 98.5% of valid licensing applications.
He argued the mayor would still be bound by the same licensing objectives as councils, adding that issues in busy nightlife areas such as the West End were 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.
Additional reporting by Lauren Stanley
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