According to The Guardian, Khan used his formal response to the council’s draft licensing policy consultation to call for Westminster to remove its cumulative impact policy and core hours approach.
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The draft policy has already faced criticism after recommending venues move away from high volume “vertical drinking” and open bar space, with table service encouraged instead.
It also suggests newly licensed pubs should call last orders at 10pm, while nightclubs would have to close by 11.30pm on weekdays and midnight at weekends.
Positive vision
Under the draft policy, Soho and the West End would remain within a cumulative impact zone, meaning new pubs, bars and nightclubs would normally be refused unless there were exceptional circumstances.
Khan said licensing decisions that could “make or break” London’s nightlife had, in his view, been “skewed towards the interests of a handful of highly vocal residents and councillors”, without enough weight given to London’s wider economy and culture.
He added that the proposals would “undermine City Hall’s efforts to make London’s nightlife the best in the world”.
In his formal response, Khan asked Westminster to “remove this cumulative impact policy altogether” and instead set out “a positive vision of the economic growth that is being promoted, rather than the activity that is to be restricted”.
Licensing powers
The intervention follows earlier criticism from Khan, who described the draft policy as “restrictive and anti growth”.
The Government is expected to give the London mayor new powers to call in some local licensing decisions.
Downing Street also intervened last week, with a No 10 spokesperson stating busy pubs were “not a public nuisance” but “British life”.
Khan pointed to Manchester City Council as an example of a more enabling approach, with no core hours policy or cumulative impact policy.
He said licensing laws were based on a presumption to grant licences where operators could demonstrate effective management and comply with licensing objectives.
Westminster City Council has previously said its guidance was intended to help venues manage customers, reduce disturbance and prevent people packing onto pavements.
The council has also said it has a legal obligation to consider every licensing application on its merits.
