Sir Sadiq Khan has downplayed suggestions that Nimbyism is impacting London’s nightlife, saying that “a venue closing at 10pm can sometimes be good for us”.
The mayor argued that Londoners’ “lifestyles have changed” in the wake of the pandemic, while insisting that City Hall had made changes to planning policy to reduce “tensions” between residents and venues.
Sir Sadiq’s comments came after he launched a new Nightlife Taskforce on Tuesday, comprising 11 industry experts who will spend the next six months investigating the struggling sector’s “challenges and opportunities”.
Venue owners and business groups have warned over recent years that licensing decisions in many London boroughs are too prohibitive, and have forced pubs and clubs to close earlier than they would like.
Jeremy Joseph, owner of G-A-Y Bar on Old Compton Street, said in a recent Instagram post that he had considered applying to extend the venue’s licence to 3am, but concluded “what’s the point when I know [the] Soho Society will object, police licensing [officers] will object, EHO [environmental health officers] will object”.
In November 2024, the Globe pub in Marylebone had extra conditions imposed on it by Westminster Council after a man living nearby repeatedly complained about “faint giggles and murmuring” from customers preventing him falling asleep.
And in 2022, the bakery chain Greggs was refused permission to open a 24-hour shop on Leicester Square. The Met Police claimed it could add to “crime and disorder” in the area, and a local resident said it would “encourage intoxicated patrons of this retailer lingering in the vicinity late at night”. After Greggs threatened to appeal the decision in court, the bakery was allowed to stay open until midnight on Sunday to Wednesday, and until 2am on Thursday to Saturday.
Asked whether Nimbys - people who object to planning or licensing applications on the basis of ‘Not In My Back Yard’ - are curtailing London’s nightlife, the mayor implied the issue was more complex.
“I don’t think it’s a question of Nimbyism,” said Sir Sadiq. “What it is, is often you have a new development built next to a pre-existing nightclub, and the residents may complain about the noise.
“So what we’ve done to address that is we’ve brought in - in our London Plan [the capital’s over-arching development strategy] - what’s called the Agent of Change rule. So if you have a new development next to an existing night-time venue, the new developer should pay for insulation in that venue, to avoid them [their residents] being disturbed by the nightclub or the pub that does live music, or whatever.
“We’ve got to understand that in a city like London, the capital city, we’ve got to have residents that live a peaceful, good life, but also businesses, particularly the night-time businesses as well.”
The mayor admitted: “There is sometimes a tension though between residents who are concerned about the night-time economy [and venues].”
He added that 12 London councils now have bespoke night-time strategies and that City Hall has been supporting boroughs by creating Night-Time Enterprise Zones and helping them with “business-friendly licensing programmes”.
Asked if he accepted that many venues feel they are not able to open as late as they would like, Sir Sadiq said: "What I've just been told is, actually, customers' patterns have changed as well. Many of us go to work the next day, and so actually, a venue closing at 10 is sometimes good for us.”
The mayor added: “People's lifestyles have changed. That’s one of the things the taskforce will look into - how, post-pandemic, people’s lifestyles have changed.
“You’ve heard the phrase ‘Thursday is the new Friday’, for example. More and more people now work from home on different days of the week, so our suburbs have changed…
“We’ve had new venues opening in Haringey, in Peckham, in Hackney - not quite in Zone One, and that’s an example of how people’s lifestyles have changed.”
Emma Best, deputy leader of City Hall Conservatives, said: “Whilst we welcomed the creation of a taskforce, I can’t help but think that many of the members of this taskforce have already been screaming the answers at the mayor for years.
“We could surely sharpen this process and start taking meaningful action before six months pass. My industry-led report on fixing London's nightlife saw businesses from across our city come together to identify solutions which the mayor has not actioned.
“It is now up to him to show he is not just paying lip service to this issue and is actually ready to finally take meaningful action.”
Michael Kill, CEO of the Night-Time Industries Association and a member of the new taskforce said: “As the night-time economy continues to evolve, we must recognise that a truly 24-hour city is not just about later opening hours—it’s about creating a diverse and sustainable night time culture.
“While consumer habits are shifting, we cannot ignore the impact of licensing restrictions, rising costs, and the challenges venues face in operating successfully. Policy shifts like the Agent of Change principle are a positive step, but more needs to be done to ensure venues are not just surviving, but thriving.
“If London is to compete on a global stage, we need stronger support for nightlife, better infrastructure, and a real commitment to protecting and growing our night time economy.”
