London councils urged to support late-night opening to ‘drive culture and nightlife growth’

London’s borough councils are being urged to allow late-night opening this spring and summer as part of a drive to grow the capital’s night-time and cultural economy.

A letter from the Greater London Authority to borough leaders and chairs of licensing committees comes ahead of a ‘landmark pilot’ announced by the government, giving the Mayor of London new ‘call in’ powers to review blocked licensing applications.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the new powers will “allow us to do more to support” the city’s night-time economy, including “music venues and other parts of the visit and tourist scene”.

In the letter, Justine Simons, Deputy Mayor for culture and the creative industries, and Howard Dawber, Deputy Mayor for business, said there is “an opportunity to work together” to address the challenges facing the sector.

They continued: “We are keen to work together with you to ensure the capital does all it can to drive growth and prosperity through our thriving culture and nightlife.”

They added that while “rising operating costs and the ongoing cost of living crisis” continue to be an issue, “London’s pubs, clubs, theatres, restaurants, hotels, and cultural venues are not only critical to our economy – they’re the lifeblood of our communities and a key reason people choose to live, work, and invest here”. 

The pilot scheme for London is part of the government’s ‘Plan for Change’ and will follow a review of strategic licensing powers.

If the pilot is successful, it will be rolled out to other mayoral authorities in England.