Westminster Council has announced its Westminster After Dark strategy, which may have a significant impact on how London’s nightlife operates in the future.
The plans include the formation of three Late-Night Entertainment Zones, in Oxford Street, The Strand and Victoria Street.
“In developing these areas, we will ensure that only responsible late-night operators, those who respect residents, visitors, and local businesses, are permitted to operate, maintaining a balanced and sustainable night-time economy,” reads the report.
"Late night" is defined as between midnight and 3am, suggesting the plan is to attempt to keep the noise and activity of post-pub night life in the small hours within these limited zones. Here’s how those zones are described in the Westminster After Dark report:
- Oxford Street (between Regent Street and Tottenham Court Road/Charing Cross Road)
- The Strand (between Villiers Street and Savoy Street)
- Victoria Street (North) (from Buckingham Gate to Buckingham Palace Road, including the Nova and Cardinal Place developments and Terminus Place)
“Westminster After Dark aims to balance the needs of a thriving evening and nighttime offer with the wellbeing of the residents who call Westminster their home,” says Geoff Barraclough, a councillor and Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Development.
“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.”
The plans also include the installation of more than 100 CCTV cameras and “improved street lighting” in order to tackle crime and improve on-the-street safety.
Westminster After Dark is currently in public consultation, which runs until June 22. You can leave you own feedback through the initiative’s website.
Night moves
London nightlight has had a rough few years (slash decade), and a survey from late 2024 found 55% of 18-34-age Londoners have ended a night early because they simply couldn’t find anywhere to continue on past midnight.
One of the most recent major stories of the decline of London nightlife is G-A-Y’s owner having put his Soho venue up for sale.
“I firmly believe Soho has lost its vibrancy,” owner Jeremy Joseph said in a statement released in January.
“Old Compton street is not the same anymore, it has a new identity & when you look down the street, you see restaurants, cafes, take aways, but the street that was the LGBT capital is no more.”
Main image credit: Getty Images
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