Khan welcomes new licensing powers for City Hall amid row with council leaders

Criticism from Westminster City Council also comes after a section of Oxford Street was pedestrianised for the first time, reports Kumail Jaffer, Local Democracy Reporter

Sir Sadiq Khan with Housing Secretary Angela Rayner outside Blue Notes Jazz Club (credit Caroline Teo)

Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan has denied carrying out a democratic “land grab” from the capital’s boroughs after his new licensing powers came into effect.

Khan told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that he still wants to work with Westminster City Council, despite the local authority’s deputy leader attacking him over the new powers granted to City Hall.

The Greater London Authority (GLA) which Khan leads was granted powers, that came into force yesterday (Tuesday 3rd), to intervene in some licensing decisions in the capital deemed ‘strategically important’ to the capital.

But the criticism from Westminster City Council also comes after a section of Oxford Street was pedestrianised for the first time, despite opposition from the local authority.

Khan’s new licensing powers enable him to call-in and determine whether to grant these applications. Councils will also have to consult the mayor when reviewing their local licensing policies.

Westminster City Council has demanded a review of licensing laws because it claims the mayor could now intervene in venues like fried chicken shops or small restaurants.

Tim Barnes, Westminster’s deputy leader, said: “This is much more like a land grab by the mayor to try and bring control over more things into his empire rather than a use of all his powers to actually try and solve a problem.”

The cross-party group London Councils, which represents the city’s borough councils, has also raised concerns, while Croydon mayor Jason Perry said the new powers “use a definition of ‘strategic importance’ that is too broad”.

Khan was joined by Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, assembly member James Small-Edwards and various stakeholders in London’s nightlife industry for an event at Blue Note Jazz Club in the West End on Tuesday.

Speaking at the event held to celebrate the new powers, the mayor said he wanted to work alongside councils to make the policy work. However, he added that if councils were not supporting “well-managed” businesses he would call these applications in.

“My expectations are that good councillors will work with good applicants to give permission,” Khan told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

“I’m hoping I have to use powers infrequently, but it’s important for those councils who may have concerns to recognise how important the night-time economy is, but also how important nightlife is to our capital city.

“This is a sector that contributes more than £21billion to our economy. That helps, by the way, pay for the public services that councils are responsible for and employs hundreds of thousands of Londoners, but also one of the reasons why people choose to come to London as a destination is our nightlife, and our hope is the councils would want to support that.”

The new powers allow the mayor to call-in decisions on applications for businesses in fee bands D and E, which have a non-domestic rateable value of £87,001, and where the proposed licensable activities take place after 11pm on any day.

High rateable values in central London and the large number of bars and venues opening late mean four-out-of-five Westminster premises already fall within scope of the new regulations, said Westminster City Council.

In a letter to the mayor, Westminster leader Paul Swaddle said the scale of the powers was “considerable” given the borough already approves 98% of licensing applications.

“The new mayoral call-in process will not, by itself, address the wider causes of pressure in the evening and night-time economy,” he said.

“Issues such as crime, noise and dispersal are best addressed through local policies and partnership working with the police, transport providers and other local services.

“The call-in process should therefore form part of a wider programme that includes improving transport, policing and partnership working while allowing experienced local licensing authorities to determine individual applications.

“We would welcome a commitment by the mayor to enhancing policing and transport provisions across London as they are central to strengthening London’s leisure, hospitality and night-time economy.”

However Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UK Hospitality, said that the decisions were “not taking anything away from local authorities”.

“This is just a call in power in the same way that you have with planning. So I don’t think that there’s any reason for Westminster to be fearful.

“What I would say is that boroughs like Westminster and others, that have very restrictive policies, should work with the local businesses that are affected, to make sure that we’ve got the right framework in place.”

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