Westminster council proposes ban on standing and bar service in Soho pubs

Westminster city council has proposed a draft licensing policy that recommends restricting standing and bar service in Soho and the West End. Under the guidance currently open for public comment, venues applying for licences are urged to encourage seating and provide food and alcohol via waiter or waitress service only, with the stated aim of discouraging excessive drunkenness and reducing open bar spaces that cater to high-volume vertical drinking.

The proposals have drawn immediate criticism from industry figures and local operators. Sacha Lord, Greater Manchester night-time adviser, described Westminster council as the most anti-hospitality council in the UK, comparing the draft measures to restrictions experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic. Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, warned that policies favoring seating and reduced standing space risk altering the character of traditional pubs while increasing operating costs and reducing capacity.

Media additions

“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.”

Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association

Top licensing lawyer Philip Kolvin KC noted that vertical drinking facilitates social mixing across predetermined groups, suggesting that discouraging it runs counter to the community cohesion traditionally promoted by pubs. Local business owners share these concerns. Lesley Lewis, the owner of the French House, stated that the draft policy would negatively impact the business, explaining that venues rely on standing patrons to meet rental and rate obligations.

The council also intends to treat the Soho and West End area as a cumulative impact zone where new applications for pubs, bars, fast-food premises, or music and dancing venues would normally be refused. This approach coincides with a new mandate from the Soho Society, a community group established in 1972 to preserve the area's character, which voted at its annual general meeting to challenge all new bar and restaurant licences and object to extensions beyond core hours. Westminster council defines core hours as ending between 10.30pm and midnight depending on the business and day of the week.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan criticized the measures as restrictive and anti-growth. A mayoral spokesperson stated that the situation demonstrates how current rules are stacked against struggling venues, reinforcing the importance of new powers expected to be granted to the mayor via secondary legislation later this year. These powers will allow the mayor to call in council licensing decisions. Timothy Barnes, Westminster council deputy leader and cabinet member for growth and planning, defended the guidance as a measure to encourage venues to manage customer numbers and prevent overcrowding on pavements or disturbance to passers-by.

“Our guidance is simply about encouraging venues to manage their customers so people don’t pack on to pavements or excessive drinking doesn’t disturb others passing by.”

Tim Barnes, Westminster city council deputy leader and cabinet member for growth and planning

Barnes added that Westminster is the country's largest planning authority, overseeing approximately 4,000 licensed venues, and noted that the council rejects fewer than 1.5 per cent of licence applications.

Key points of the draft policy

• Alcohol and food sales are recommended to be by waiter or waitress service only.
• Venues are encouraged to provide more seating and replace open bar spaces associated with vertical drinking.
• The Soho and West End area is designated as a cumulative impact zone where new applications for pubs, bars, fast-food outlets, and entertainment venues would normally be refused.

Timeline of the proposal

Date	Event
6 August 2026	Westminster council releases its draft licensing policy for public consultation and comments.

What to watch next

• The expected passage of secondary legislation later in the year granting the Mayor of London powers to call in local council licensing decisions.
• The conclusion of the public consultation period on Westminster council's draft licensing policy.