Vertical drinking is a cornerstone of British bar and pub culture, a natural opportunity for socialising and a key part of many people’s evening out.
However it is also arguably a licensing headache, with strict capacity levels and customer management seen as effective tools to bring down crime rates and late night disruption.
In its consultation for the latest iteration of its licensing policy, Westminster City Council has heavily hinted there will be no relaxing the rules designed to curb antisocial behaviour associated with drinking and nightlife.
In its latest proposals out for consultation, the council says venues should prioritise table service and seating over vertical bar service ‘that caters for high volume vertical drinking’ as a means to discourage ‘excessive drunkness’, suggesting that such premises were more likely to be granted licenses in cumulative impact areas.
It continues: ‘The council is concerned about restaurant premises within the West End Cumulative Impact Zone25 operating, even in part, as bars and in particular ‘vertical drinking’ premises where customers consume alcohol whilst standing throughout the evening.’
The report is supportive of restaurants and bars which choose to limit alcohol to those enjoying a ‘substantial table meal’, adding there should be no exception for one person having drinks only in a group where the majority are having food.
But the report itself stops short of suggesting such practice would be mandated by conditions in future licenses, rather that restaurants would be strongly recommended to take that approach.
Premises licensing has long been a flashpoint in central areas such as Soho, where the local amenity society decided this year to object to all forthcoming applications to license venues in the area, while others argue restrictions designed to appease residents are stifling the nightlife industry.
Among figures pushing to ease restrictions on businesses is the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who suggested the licensing plan was handling Soho with a ‘village hall mindset’ and vowed to take back licensing powers.
‘You London’s hospitality and nightlife support jobs, culture and growth. New powers for City Hall will help ensure decisions consider the wider benefits for our city’, he wrote on X.
Council leader Paul Swaddle insisted there were no plans to ban standing drinks and that any attempt to convey this was coming from ‘those operating their own agenda and others jumping on this to make a political point’.
He added: ‘Let me be clear about what we’re trying to achieve. This is about safety, not stopping anyone standing at a bar with a pint in their hand. We will never allow Westminster to become a city where people can’t go out and enjoy a drink.
‘Growth is central to everything this administration is doing, and that means backing our hospitality sector, not making things harder for them.
‘We approve well over 98% of licence applications, we’ve just backed a 24-hour licence in the West End and a new pub in Covent Garden, and we’ve launched our own campaign to get people back out enjoying Soho this summer. That’s growth that keeps this city open for busines’
Councillor Tim Barnes also hit back at critics, insisting anyone interpreting the licensing policy as supporting a ban on drinking at bars had ‘wilfully’ misread it.
He added: ‘We want people to go out in the West End and have a good time. Our guidance is simply about encouraging venues to manage their customers so people don’t pack onto pavements or excessive drinking doesn’t disturb others passing by.
‘The Cumulative Impact Zone is recognised as an area that has a high concentration of activity and particular policies exist for that in Westminster and the Mayor’s London-wider planning.
‘There is a legal obligation to look at every application on its merits and we do just that, meaning we see new venues opening all the time.
‘Again, there is little change here from the policy of previous administrations and we have seen new pubs and fast-food outlets open recently including a licence extension for the McDonald’s on Leicester Square, which will now be open 24 hours despite objections from the Mayor’s police representatives.
‘We are the country’s largest planning authority with some 4,000 licensed venues. We reject less than 1.5% of license applications and there is a strong desire to see thriving, profitable, venues across Westminster.
‘As we have made clear we are happy to work with the Mayor of London on licensing and have just launched our own campaign to promote nights out in Soho.’