Late-night entertainment zones in Oxford Street, the Strand, and Victoria Street could be created under plans by Westminster Council to allow new live music and hospitality venues to operate away from residential areas.
Westminster Council said its Westminster After Dark strategy — which is open for public consultation — is a road-map 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.
Westminster Council 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.
The council is also pushing for Transport for London (TfL) to restore night bus services.
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.
“I know that many people feel passionately about this subject. Please get involved and respond to the consultation.”
Tim Lord, chair of the Soho Society, said the plan should include targets on reducing crime. He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service crime in the West End remained high and was related to the night-time economy.
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, [which] the council so far has failed to investigate 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 2,954 violent and sexual offences committed. He said: “However, there are a number of useful steps in the right direction as crime is identified as a key issue.”
Last year a Westminster Council report stated that the West End night-time economy is “a clear driver of alcohol-related crime” with most of these offences taking place in the St James’s and West End wards. Crime is also higher than pre-pandemic levels and has an “economic and social cost” of £371mn a year.
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.
The local authority says it would only consider using these powers in collaboration with the police where it is appropriate, reasonable, and supported by sufficient evidence.
The draft After Dark strategy states the council will “implement tailored measures” such as “increased police patrols” but without any commitment to fund a net increase in police numbers across the borough. The council’s public safety force of “Night Stars” is largely made up of volunteers.
A Westminster City Council spokesperson 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.
“Safety is central to our plans, and we have engaged extensively with residents to shape this strategy. As part of our commitment to making Westminster safer, we are installing an additional 100 CCTV cameras, enhancing street lighting, and introducing a joint council and police unit to tackle antisocial behaviour and crime hotspots.”
West End councillor Tim Barnes said many things have changed for the night-time economy since Covid-19. He said the costs of running hospitality businesses have risen since the Autumn Budget.
He said: “We need to find a new balance for residents of the West End and the pubs, bars, restaurants and clubs that make the area what it is. We all want to see a thriving commercial sector that has energy and buzz but can be managed for the benefit of all.
“It’s been clear since 2022, after the effects of lockdown had begun to shake out, that we needed a review and while we welcome news of this consultation, it’s worth asking why it has taken so long and how effective it will be.”
According to the draft strategy, the council wants to create Late-Night Entertainment Zones (LNEZ) in the following areas:
- 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).
“These zones will be designed to enhance Westminster’s cultural and economic vibrancy, supporting business growth while reinforcing the city’s global reputation for diverse and dynamic night-time experiences.
“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,” says the council.
However, the strategy does not set out any measures to restrict the granting of premises licences in residential areas.
Westminster Council, public consultation: Westminster After Dark. Comments are invited until Sunday 22 June 2025.
Additional reporting by Linus Rees.
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