Last night, at a full Council meeting, Westminster Council formally adopted their new revised Statement of Licensing Policy.
Westminster, as are every Council across England and Wales, are required to review and update their Statement of Licensing Policy at least once every five years. The Council’s previous policy took effect on 1 October 2021, and the revised policy is due to be published by 30 September 2026, to come into force on 1 October 2026.
The policy followed a consultation which ran from June to August 2026. The Council received 690 consultation responses in total compared with 170 responses to the 2021 policy consultation. The Council’s report noted that the increase followed significant media and public attention in the final week of the consultation period, which it said led to a number of responses reflecting misunderstandings of the policy’s intent and practical effect.
The Council’s report described the revised policy as broadly similar in substance to the 2021 version, largely due to the compressed legal timescale for its development. Due to this, the Council’s report commits to a number of further steps over the next 12 to 18 months, including a review of the evidence base underpinning the Cumulative Impact and Core Hours policies, a review of existing premises use type definitions, and the convening of an industry expert panel to provide external input into future policy development.
A full copy of the approved policy can be seen here (Appendix A – Revised Statement of Licensing Policy.pdf), and a summary of the key changes are as below:
- Cumulative Impact Zone: The West End Cumulative Impact Zone has been reduced in size on its western, eastern and northern edges, removing significant portions of Covent Garden, Mayfair and the area north of Oxford Street from the Zone. The policy clarifies that all applications within the Zone continue to be determined on their individual merits and will be granted where they promote the Licensing Objectives.
- Core Hours: Wording on Core Hours has been amended to clarify that these operate as reference points rather than fixed limits, with the Council stating it will grant applications for hours outside Core Hours where appropriate to promote the Licensing Objectives.
- Violence Against Women and Girls and Martyn’s Law: Provisions have been updated to reflect the Council’s approach to preventing violence against women and girls and to align with the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 (“Martyn’s Law“).
- Enforcement: The policy sets out in more detail the Council’s enforcement role and its partnership working with the Metropolitan Police in addressing non-compliant or poorly managed premises.
- Vertical drinking: The policy introduces a definition of “Vertical Drinking” – describing premises with little or no seating where customers predominantly stand while drinking.
- Good Operator Guidance: The accompanying Good Operator Guidance (Appendix C – Revised Good Operator Guidance.pdf) has been expanded to include further information on the application process and to support applicants and operators in promoting the Licensing Objectives through effective, responsible, and proactive management of premises.
The Statement of Licensing Policy 2026 will be published and take effect from 1 October 2026.
For more information, please feel free to contact Felix Faulkner, Associate Solicitor, on 0203 859 7760 or 07495 497 199.
