The Mayor of London has called for the lifting of restrictions on new pubs in Soho
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has called on the Westminster Council to revise a draft licensing policy that would impose restrictions on the opening of new pubs, bars, and restaurants in Soho and the West End, according to The Guardian World.
The draft proposes designating the entire Soho and West End areas as a “cumulative impact zone.” Under these conditions, new pubs, bars, and nightclubs would be granted licenses only in exceptional cases. The document also stipulates that new pubs must take last orders at 10:00 p.m., while nightclubs must close at 11:30 p.m. on weekdays and at midnight on weekends.
The policy, which is currently under consultation, also includes a proposal to restrict so-called “standing consumption”—when patrons drink while standing. It proposes requiring establishments to serve customers at tables rather than at the bar.
For more breaking news, follow the UA.News Telegram channel.
This year, Khan was granted new powers to intervene in licensing decisions. He used them for the first time to ask the council to revise the draft. In a formal response to the consultation, the mayor called for the elimination of “concentrated impact zones” and the “core hours” policy so that establishments could stay open late.
According to the UK Home Office, 41 license applications were submitted in the West End cumulative impact zone in 2023–2024, of which 16 were approved. In Westminster, between 2023 and 2026, only 3.5% of the applications reviewed by the licensing subcommittee were approved without changes. The number of applications from pubs and wine bars decreased by 80% between 2022 and 2024.
Plans are also being considered to designate Mayfair and the Victoria area as special zones where nightlife will be restricted due to noise and other behavior deemed a disturbance of the peace. Khan suggested following the approach of Manchester City Council, which has neither a core hours policy nor cumulative impact zones. At the time of publication, Westminster Council had not provided a comment.
