Westminster rapped over licensing policy

Westminster Council has been forced to rethink its blanket-ban approach to new licences in the busiest parts of London after a rap on the knuckles from a government-appointed inspector.

The council, which is responsible for areas including Covent Garden and Leicester Square, has conceded that it will consider all new applications for licences on the individual merits of each.

The ruling is a victory for trade bodies which lobbied for a government review of two Westminster policies in its Unitary Development Plan (UDP) - the ban on new A3 planning use in so-called 'stress areas' judged by the council to have reached saturation point, and the imposition of terminal hours on all premises. These ranged from 11pm for standard pubs and bars to 3am for late-night venues.

The government-appointed UDP Inquiry Inspector ruled that Westminster could not impose a blanket ban but should have "criteria- based policies" which look at each application individually. Licensed trade solicitor David Coffer, who contributed to the appeal in his role as president of the Restaurant Property Advisors Society, said the ruling is a victory for 'common sense' over Westminster's 'draconian' approach.

"They have now had to respond with a revised policy which makes the operation of new and existing units in the west end on the face of it, much easier and more promising. Common sense finally reigns."

Westminster has put its revised UDP out to consultation. Director of planning Gordon Chard said the changes reflected the inspector's "recommendations that policies should be criteria based", as well as the government's guidance to the Licensing Act, which also calls for each application to be considered on its individual merits.