Westminster City Council has called on Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to invest in more visible policing, extend night bus routes, and introduce a Night Tube service on Thursdays, in a bid to boost London's nightlife and help residents and visitors get home safely.
The council said residents, regular visitors, and local businesses have told them they want more police on the streets to feel safe on a night out and to support the hospitality industry. The call for more resources follows a consultation on Westminster's draft licensing policy, which was criticised for proposing to curb standing-up drinking in Soho's pubs.
Transport and policing demands
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.”
Barnes added: “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.”
As well as asking for more policing, the council called for night buses to be extended and for a Night Tube service on Thursdays. Investing in late-night transport, including improving taxi and private hire options, would limit closing time crowds and help people leave the area safely, the council said.
Licensing policy controversy
The comments come after a row over suggested changes to Westminster's licensing policy, which was criticised for proposing to curb “vertical drinking” – standing-up 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”. In response to the council's plans in August, Lord Khan urged the authority to think again and scrap the proposed presumption.
No blanket ban and next steps
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 that planning jargon such as “vertical drinking” will be better explained in the final policy document, in 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.
