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The Westminster After Dark Stakeholder Assembly wrapped up its series last Saturday, culminating in a dynamic exchange of ideas to shape the future of Westminster's evening and night-time. Over three consecutive Saturdays, a diverse group of residents, workers, visitors, and business owners engaged in constructive dialogue, facilitated by SixtillSix.

Participants tackled the crucial question: "How can we make Westminster's evening and night-time more diverse and inclusive?" They addressed key themes, including Safety and Security, Economic Development, Community and Culture, and Accessibility.

Throughout the Assembly, representatives from organisations like the Greater London Authority and the Metropolitan Police shared insights, while groups such as Parapride and the Westminster LGBT Forum highlighted the importance of inclusivity and community engagement. Additionally, experts from UK Hospitality and Sustainable Acoustics shed light on navigating challenges and fostering growth in the night-time economy.

Day Two saw deep deliberations as attendees pieced together insights from previous sessions, with notable contributions from speakers like Sam Mathys from Hackney. The final day saw collaborative efforts to refine recommendations and construct guiding principles, with input from James Hulme of the New South Wales Government.

The Assembly's inclusive approach and commitment to diverse voices underscored its significance in shaping Westminster's future. As the assembly concludes, its recommendations are poised to inform the Evening and Night-time Strategy for enhancing the vibrancy and safety of Westminster's evening and night-time, showcasing the power of community collaboration in its development.

The deadline to register your interest in the Evening and Night-Time Stakeholder Assembly is Friday 1st December.

Westminster City Council is hosting an Evening and Night-time Stakeholder Assembly, and we want you to be part of it! The Assembly will be a space where residents, businesses, and stakeholders can come together to share their perspectives, ideas, and concerns.

We are consulting on our draft Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA), and we want you to have your say.

The council has been consulting on its CIA and has received some excellent and constructive feedback on the CIA so far. To make sure that everyone who wants to can submit their views on the CIA, the council is extending the consultation deadline to the 12th November.

Cumulative impact is the term used to describe the effect of having a number of licensed premises which sell alcohol, provide late-night hot food or hot drinks or where a range of sporting, music or performance events take place in a concentrated area and which can have an impact on crime and disorder, nuisance and the demand on local services. We are committed to working with our communities, business and our stakeholders to get their views on Westminster’s Cumulative impact assessment (CIA), in order to help us shape the vision for Westminster’s first Evening and Night-time Plan (Westminster After Dark) . The CIA's consultation will be considered within the broader context of engagement and discussions as we develop part of the comprehensive plan for the future of our evening and night-time environment, prior to making any policy or strategy decisions. The CIA plays a crucial role in providing evidential groundwork for our Licensing Policy.

We have started consulting on our draft Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA), and we want you to have your say.

Cumulative impact is the term used to describe the effect of having a number of licensed premises which sell alcohol, provide late-night hot food or hot drinks or where a range of sporting, music or performance events take place in a concentrated area and which can have an impact on crime and disorder, nuisance and the demand on local services. We are committed to working with our communities, business and our stakeholders to get their views on Westminster’s Cumulative impact assessment (CIA), in order to help us shape the vision for Westminster’s first Evening and Night-time Plan (Westminster After Dark) . The CIA's consultation will be considered within the broader context of engagement and discussions as we develop part of the comprehensive plan for the future of our evening and night-time environment, prior to making any policy or strategy decisions. The CIA plays a crucial role in providing evidential groundwork for our Licensing Policy.

From the West End to Harrow Road, Westminster plays a key role in London’s nightlife, supporting good jobs and a world leading array of cultural, entertainment, and culinary attractions. However, as a Council, we recognise the challenges that come with so much night-time activity, including crime and disorder, anti-social behaviour, and noise disturbances, which often adversely impact our residents. We must strike the right balance between the interests of residents, visitors, and businesses, so that night-time in the city is managed well and serves the needs and interests of all those who have stake in the evening environment.

That is why we are launching Westminster After Dark, a six-month engagement with the city’s residents, businesses, visitors, and communities, will take place from today, 3 October, to inform the council’s first ever Evening and Night-time Plan. Once in place, the plan will outline an approach which has been designed with residents, visitors and businesses that sets a vision for the future of our evening and night-time environment that truly reflects the diverse needs, aspirations, and desires of everyone who lives, works in, visits, or runs a business in the city.

Cllr Geoff Barraclough, Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Development said:

The Westminster After Dark plan will be published in June 2024 and will provide clearer guidance on things like noise management, street-lighting, planning, and licensing policies and antisocial behaviour which is fairer to all sides of the multifaceted evening population of the city. The plan will serve as the foundation for future policies ensuring areas like Licensing and Planning are more consistent with one another and address the issues that are most important to those who contributed views in the Westminster After Dark engagements.

Cllr Aicha Less, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communities and Public Protection said:

The first step in understanding where the problems and solutions are, to guide our Westminster After Dark plan, will be in publishing and consulting on the Cumulative Impact Assessment for alcohol and entertainment licensed premises. This assessment will be published on Monday 9 October and will support the council to shape licensing policy and decision making, particularly in areas with a high concentration of licensed premises, such as the West End.

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