Night-time roadmap for West End aiming to strike the right balance
By Adrian Zorzut, Local Democracy Reporter
The ‘first-ever’ plan to bolster central London’s nightlife has been launched, and the public is being asked to have their say.
Westminster City council said the draft strategy, called Westminster After Dark, was a roadmap to balancing the late-night economy with the needs of residents and businesses.
The borough is home to many of London’s most famous attractions as well as the globally renowned West End. The proposal includes installing an extra 100 CCTV cameras, improving street lighting and expanding joint council and police patrols to tackle anti-social behaviour.
The council has also suggested tweaking its licensing framework to create ‘Late-Night Entertainment Zones’ in Oxford Street, The Strand, and Victoria Street. These dedicated spaces will allow new live music and entertainment venues to operate away from residential areas.
Westminster City will also require newly licensed venues to assess and mitigate risks to women’s safety. The local authority has also pledged to prioritise support for culturally significant LGBTQ+ spaces while expanding late-night cultural and family-friendly entertainment options.
This could include extending retail hours, night-time museum openings and opening creative workspaces. There are also plans to host ‘quiet nights’ with reduced noise levels, dimmed lighting, and designated calm zones.
Cllr Geoff Barraclough, the cabinet member for planning and economic development, said: “Westminster After Dark aims to balance the needs of a thriving evening and night-time offer with the wellbeing of the residents who call Westminster their home.
“This new strategy is our response to the obvious challenges of managing these competing demands. Following extensive engagement, Westminster After Dark explores how we will remain a welcoming, innovative, inclusive, and liveable city with something on offer for everyone.”
Tim Lord, chair of the Soho Society, said the plan should include targets on reducing crime.
He said: “The council says there is little it can do but in fact there is a specific action under the Licensing Act – an early morning restriction order (EMO) – that temporary intervention appears to be designed for exactly this high crime situation in a small area where gangs operate, the council so far has failed to investigate that despite our request.”
He also referred to Met Police crime data for the West End, which showed there had been almost 30,000 instances of theft and shoplifting between January and December 2024. There were also 2954 violent and sexual offences committed.
According to the council, applying an EMO to certain parts of Soho would penalise well-run venues which would lose valuable trading hours. It would also mean all bars closing at the same time, leading to crowded streets and potentially heightened crime and disorder.
A Westminster City council spokesman said: “Westminster After Dark is about striking the right balance, supporting responsible business growth while ensuring residents can enjoy their homes at night. We are consulting on this strategy and welcome all ideas and feedback as part of the process.”
Pictured top: Westminster City councillor and cabinet member for planning and economic development Geoff Barraclough in Oxford Street (Picture: LDRS)