The comments come after the council recommended venues in areas including Soho and the West End move away from “vertical drinking” and open bar space, with table service encouraged instead.
The draft policy, which is currently out for consultation, also suggests new pubs in popular nightlife areas should call last orders at 10pm to reduce noise and disturbance.
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A Downing Street 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 10 o’clock. The Prime Minister encourages local leaders to work with the industry so that pubs can continue to thrive.”
Licensing powers
The Government is expected to grant London mayor Sadiq Khan new powers allowing him to call in some local council licensing decisions.
Khan has also criticised the Westminster proposals, stating on X:
“You can’t run a world famous nightlife district with a village hall mindset.”
His comments follow earlier criticism of what he described as “restrictive and anti growth” licensing policies affecting pubs, bars and nightlife venues.
The draft Westminster policy says pubs should “discourage excessive drunkenness” and provide more seating for people to drink and order food by table service, rather than open bar space for “high volume vertical drinking”.
It also recommends that sales of alcohol and food should be “by waiter or waitress service only”.
Council response
Westminster City Council leader Paul Swaddle denied the proposals amounted to a ban on standing in pubs.
He told the Press Association: “I want to be straight with people. There is no plan, and never has been, to ban drinking while standing up in a Westminster pub.”
Swaddle also criticised City Hall, claiming police had been directed to object to every new licence application as part of efforts to curb crime in the West End.
The council’s draft policy also proposes restrictions on new pub and bar openings in its West End cumulative impact zone, which includes Soho and large parts of the West End.
Areas including Victoria and Mayfair could also face tighter controls on new openings if the policy is adopted.
