Westminster City Council is also calling on the Mayor of London to invest in more visible policing
More night buses, a greater and more visible police presence and a 24-hour Tube service on Thursdays would help boost London nightlife, Westminster City Council has said. Residents, regular visitors and local businesses have told the council they would like to see more police on London’s streets to help people feel safe on a night out and support the hospitality industry, it said.
The call for more resources comes after a row over Westminster’s draft licensing policy, which was criticised for proposing to curb standing-up drinking in Soho ’s pubs. Those responding to a consultation on draft changes to Westminster’s licensing policy “consistently asked” for more support for licensed venues such as pubs, bars, restaurants and nightclubs, the council said.
As well as asking mayor of London Lord Sadiq Khan to invest in more policing, the council called for night buses to be extended and for a Night Tube service to be introduced on Thursdays. Investing in late-night transport, including by improving taxi and private hire options, would limit closing time crowds and help people leave the area safely, it said.
Westminster’s deputy leader Tim Barnes said: “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.
“We’ve spent the summer taking feedback from residents, the hospitality industry and visitors. We’ll take this on board and do our bit to support the hospitality industry, but we need the mayor’s team to fund the services which make London a 24-hour city.”
The comments come after a row over suggested changes to its licensing policy, which was criticised for proposing to curb standing-up drinking – dubbed “vertical drinking” – in Soho’s pubs.
A council spokesman said venues hoping to secure a licence could help their application by considering ways to “remove opportunities” for vertical drinking, but insisted there is no plan to ban it.
The draft document also contained a presumption against approving new pubs, bars or nightclubs in Soho, referred to as the “cumulative impact area”.
Responding to the council’s plans in August, Lord Khan urged the authority to think again and scrap the proposed presumption.
A council spokesman has now confirmed there will not be a blanket ban on new licensed venues in Soho, and the policy wording will be updated to make this clear.
He added planning jargon such as “vertical drinking” will be better explained in the final policy document, in a response to feedback received during the consultation.
Westminster is responsible for licensing more than 4,000 pubs, nightclubs, restaurants and bars across some of London’s busiest hotspots, including Soho, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden.
Councils are required by law to publish a licensing policy every five years. Westminster must publish its reviewed policy so that it can take effect on October 1.
Lord Khan has been contacted for comment.
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