Westminster Council Proposes Limits on Standing in Soho Pubs
The draft policy would give new licence bids more weight if they cut operating capacity and add table service, the council said.
- On Thursday, August 6, 2026, The Guardian reported Westminster Council's new draft licensing policy aims to reduce 'vertical drinking' in Soho and West End pubs through guidance encouraging fixed seating.
- Council planners seek to manage excessive drunkenness and crowds by encouraging fixed seating, though critics argue this shift threatens the cultural ethos of pubs as social hubs.
- The draft policy advises giving 'greater weight' to new license applications that 'demonstrate meaningful reductions in actual operating capacity' by prioritizing table service over open bar space.
- Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan criticized the proposal as 'restrictive and anti-growth,' warning such policies hinder London's hospitality sector as he gains new powers to override local decisions.
- Despite industry concerns, Westminster officials clarified the policy is not a blanket ban on standing, but rather guidance for new venues to manage customer dispersal and reduce excessive drinking.
35 Articles
35 Articles
If ever a policy belonged in a Monty Python sketch, this is it
I read an article in the Guardian about Westminster Council’s draft licensing policy that would restrict “vertical drinking” — standing at a bar to order a drink or chatting with a drink in hand. If ever a policy belonged in a Monty Python sketch, this is it. One can almost picture three men bursting into a crowded pub in brilliant cardinal uniforms shouting, “Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition! Put that pint down!” Considering all the issue…
The municipality of Westminster (and Soho) plans to limit new licenses for those who do not serve tables to dissort excessive consumption of alcohol and increase safety. It explodes psychodrama in the city. Downing Street: "They are part of British life" . The mayor of...
Plan to Limit ‘Vertical Drinking’ Decried by Pub Landlords and UK Politicians
LONDON (AP) — A proposal to limit “vertical drinking,” a bureaucratic euphemism for having a pint while standing, has turned into a political headache for one local government council in London. Join our WhatsApp group Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email Politicians from Prime Minister Andy Burnham to London Mayor Sadiq Khan have piled in […]
Plan to limit ‘vertical drinking’ decried by pub landlords, UK politicians - The Tribune
A proposal to limit “vertical drinking,” a bureaucratic euphemism for having a pint while standing, has turned into a political headache for one local government council in London. Politicians from Prime Minister Andy Burnham to London Mayor Sadiq Khan have piled in to decry the idea from Westminster City Council, which is responsible for licensing […]
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