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Westminster Licensing Polices
Draft Statement of Licensing Policy, June 2026
The Council must publish a Statement of Licensing Policy under the Licensing Act 2003 for each five-year period. The current Policy has been in effect since 1 October 2021. A new Policy must be adopted by the Council and published no later than 30 September 2026 so that it can take effect on 1 October 2026.
The draft Statement of Licensing Policy is based on the existing Policy, and the overall approach to managing the various types of licensed premises in Westminster, the hours of operation of those premises and the cumulative impact of premises has been retained, however the Policy has been refreshed to make it more streamlined, user-friendly and to reflect new trends, local and national developments and updated guidance.
What has changed?
1. A new licensing strategy has been developed that sets out the Council’s vision and its strategic aims. This is included in paragraphs B9 to B21 of the draft Policy.
Addition 28/07/2026: The strategy explains how the Council wishes to support sustainable growth with paragraph B18 stating that the Council is more likely to support varied operations that promote the licensing objectives during the day and early evening, predominantly before 22:00. This intention is to encourage a diverse licensing offer throughout the day and evening, and should not be interpreted as the introduction of any new restrictions after 22:00.
2. There are enhanced safety and protection measures with references to responsibilities under the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, also known as “Martyn’s Law” or the ‘Protect Duty’, and measures to reduce violence against women and girls. These measures are referenced in the new licensing strategy and included under the prevention of crime and disorder and public safety objectives (Part D, section I - Licensing Objectives Policies). The Council will consider any steps applicants propose to take when determining applications.
3. Clarity around responsibilities for delivery personnel has been added to the delivery sections (paragraphs D74 and D220).
4. The Spatial Policies have been updated in light of the new Cumulative Impact Assessment 2026 (CIA 2026). Whilst the policy approach is unchanged, the areas to which the policies will apply have been revised. The East Covent Garden Special Consideration Zone has been incorporated into the West End Buffer Special Consideration Zone and a new Special Consideration Zones have been introduced in the Marylebone and Oxford Street Area, Paddington and for applications to supply alcohol to be consumed away from the premises (e.g. shops) in the Harrow Road area. The Marylebone and Oxford Street area and Paddington had been identified as areas of interest in the Cumulative Impact Assessment 2023 but were not added to the current Policy.
5. New policies have been developed around standard temporary event notices and personal licences to support decision-making and set out the primary considerations.
6. The Policy has been simplified by removing duplication and cross-referencing.
7. Guidance previously within the Policy has been moved into a new “Good Operator” Guidance document to support applicants and licence holders.
8. The overall structure of the Policy has been altered so the individual policies are now grouped together based on the type of application to which they relate. This change is intended to make it easier to navigate the Policy and find the policies that are relevant to each type of application. The table below shows a comparison of the structures of the current and draft Policies.
Current Policy Structure | Draft Policy Structure |
How to use this policy | How to use this policy |
A. The City of Westminster | A. The City of Westminster |
B. Our Approach to Licensing in Westminster
| B. Our Approach to Licensing in Westminster
|
C. Licensing Objectives Policies
| C. Applications **This is a new section setting out basic principles for making a valid application. |
D. Spatial Policies
| D. Premises Licences and Club Premises Certificates - General (a new overarching policy) - Licensing Objectives Policies
- Spatial Policies
- Licence Conditions |
E. Core Hours Policy - Core Hours Police | E. Temporary Event Notices - Standard Temporary Event Notices |
F. Premises Use Policies - Casinos Policy CAS1 - Cinemas, Cultural Venues, Live Sporting Premises and Outdoor Spaces Policy CCSOS1 - Combined use premises Policy COMB1 - Delivery Centre Policy - Fast Food Premises Policy FFP1 - Hotels Policy HOT1 - Music and Dance Premises Policy MD1 - Public Houses and Bars Policy PB1 - Qualifying Club PolicyQUC1 - Restaurants Policy RNT1 - Sexual Entertainment Venues and Sex Cinemas Policy SCEV1 - Shops Policy SHP1 | F. Personal Licences - Personal Licence Applications - Suspension and Revocation of a Personal Licence |
G. Ancillary Policies - Ancillary Delivery of Alcohol and/or Late-Night Refreshment Policy DEL1 | G. Enforcement |
H. Temporary Event Notice | H. Glossary |
I. Licence Conditions and Enforcement - Conditions on Licences - Enforcement Approach | Appendices
|
J. Glossary | End Notes |
Appendices 1. Consultation on Revision 7 of the council’s Statement of Licensing Policy 2. Licensing Authority Functions and Duties 3. Delegation of Licensing Functions 4. Reviews of Premises Licences or Club Premises Certificates 5. Westminster Strategies 6. Other relevant legislation 7A. Metropolitan Police crime prevention and effective management checklist7B. Licensed Premises Applications – Action Counters Terrorism (ACT) Products 8. Recommended ‘minimum’ requirements for CCTV systems within Westminster 9. Prevention of crime and disorder 10. Metropolitan Police Service 11. Guidance on noise 12. Child Sexual Exploitation Guidance 13. Responsible Authorities 14. 2020 Cumulative Impact Assessment Summary 15. Mandatory conditions for Premises Licences and Club |
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You Said, We Did
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Cumulative Impact Zone / Special Consideration Zones Maps
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Consultation Draft Statement of Licensing Policy Review 2026
View our proposed draft Statement of Licensing Policy 2026
Gambling Policy Consultation
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Consultation - Cumulative Impact Assessment 2026
Review the outcomes of the 2026 CIA and give your feedback on its development.
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