The end of standing at Soho pubs? Council wants fewer crowds and more table service - and suggests last orders at 10pm
Crowds of drinkers standing outside pubs in central London and ordering at the bar could become a thing of the past under council plans.
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Tory-led Westminster Council wants to reduce the amount of 'vertical drinking' at pubs in London and encourage more table service, as well as prioritise licences for bars and restaurants which close at 10pm.
Under proposals which have been branded 'nimbyism' and 'anti-growth,' Westminster Council also says it will “normally” refuse any applications for new bars, pubs, and music venues in the 'West End Cumulative Impact Zone', which consists of Soho and large areas of the West End.
According to the plans, the council is “concerned” about restaurants and bars in the West End operating as “vertical drinking premises, where customers consume alcohol whilst standing throughout the evening.”
Critics have described the proposal as a virtual ban on people standing in pubs, although the council insisted this is not the case.
Businesses warned LBC that the draft policies would make it impossible for new bars, restaurants, and pubs to set up shop, “cutting off investment” to the country’s entertainment capital.
Opposition councillors also railed against the plan, saying it flies in the face of Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s pledge to boost the UK’s ailing nighttime economy, claiming the council wants to “put London to sleep by 10pm”.
London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan criticised the “restrictive and antigrowth policies”, and said he hoped to challenge them using new powers granted by the government.
A spokesperson for the mayor said he will “be able to call in licensing decisions and have a say in local policies to protect London’s vital nightlife and hospitality industries.”
One local business figure claimed the proposals were linked to lobbying by a decades-old group of residents and businesses, the Soho Society, which is aimed at ‘preserving the character of Soho’, and has previously pledged to challenge all new applications for bars and restaurants in the area.
Chef Jack Godik, who co-owns Argentinian restaurant, cocktail bar, and live music venue, Sucre, in Soho, said the proposals were the result of “nimbyism” by residents.
“Soho is historically a late-night cultural centre”, he said. “People come here expecting a late-night scene – and this is going to have a huge effect on our global image and on our culture and economy.
“If it's the default position to refuse these licences, then new and interesting businesses aren’t going to come to Soho.
“That’s a really great way for the council to just shut off any investment into this area.”
Reacting to the clause about standing room, Mr Godik described it as “completely unreasonable.”
“A buzzing, busy pub full of people chatting, laughing, and talking to each other is one of the best things about living in London,” he said.
“I cannot understand any attempt to dampen that.”
Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, seen as the voice of the late-night industry, said the policies represented a “significant shift in direction that should concern the entire hospitality sector.”
He said: “Standing in pubs has always been part of Britain's pub culture. It's how people meet friends, watch live sport, wait to be served and enjoy the unique atmosphere that pubs have provided for generations.
“Encouraging policies that favour more seating and reduced standing space risks changing the very character of these venues while reducing capacity, increasing operating costs and limiting flexibility for responsible businesses already under significant financial pressure.”
Westminster City Council’s deputy leader, councillor Tim Barnes, told LBC that the claim they wanted to ban standing room in pubs was “utterly ludicrous”.
He said: “Suggesting otherwise is a wilful misreading of the policy proposals with clauses taken out of context.
"We want people to go out in the West End and have a good time. Our guidance is simply about encouraging venues to manage their customers, so people don't pack onto pavements, or excessive drinking doesn't disturb others passing by.”
He said they had a “legal obligation” to consider every licensing application individually, meaning new venues are “opening all the time”, and that the council would “work with the mayor” on licensing.
A No10 spokesperson said: “Busy pubs full of people talking to each other is not a public nuisance, it is British life, and it is thousands of jobs.
“The Government is devolving new licensing powers to the Mayor to help support pubs and nightlife. Soho did not become world famous by taking last orders early, switching the lights off at ten o’clock.
“The Prime Minister encourages local leaders to work with the industry so that pubs can continue to thrive.”