Westminster City Council calls for more public money

A call to match longer pub opening hours with funding for improved policing and public transport has put Westminster City Council on the same side as the licensed trade for once.

The controversial council has echoed calls by trade bodies for more public money to ensure that deregulated pub opening hours are backed by funding for more police and better transport in central London, "the entertainment heart of the country."

Westminster has written to the Metropolitan Police Authority and Transport for London setting out its concerns. It wants to see measures including 24 hour running of the tube at weekends, and an end to a freeze on police numbers.

Central London licensed operators have long argued for better public transport links, while trade bodies such as the British Beer and Pub Association have called for money paid by operators in rates and taxes to be used to improve policing.

Councillor Tim Mitchell, Westminster council cabinet member for transport said: "If we are going to have 24 hour drinking we need 24 hour transport. More money needs to come from the government and Transport for London to improve the tube and bus system and make London the equal to New York."

Despite describing itself as "the UK's tourism shop window, and the entertainment heart of the country," the council has locked horns repeatedly with the licensed trade over everything from its opposition to late-night licences to it insistence that 'rhythmically swaying' customers require a Public Entertainment Licence.

Westminster is still lobbying for changes to the Licensing Bill based on its concerns about public order and anti-social behaviour, as well as seeking to protect residents' right to object to a proliferation of licensed premises in their locality.