London Mayor Sadiq Khan has released new figures, which he branded as ‘shocking’, revealing that London has lost 1,220 pubs since 2001 – an average of 81 closures a year, and seeks suggestions linked to a consultation on ‘Culture and the night time economy’ Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) which ends on 31 May 2017.
Two London boroughs reported a loss of more than half of their pubs, with Barking and Dagenham citing a loss of 56 per cent and Newham with 52 per cent. Other badly affected boroughs include Croydon with 45 per cent, Waltham Forest with 44 per cent, Hounslow reporting a 42 per cent and Lewisham at 41 per cent. Hackney was the only borough that did not report an overall loss and saw an increase of 3 per cent since 2001.
The figures are from an audit of London’s public houses, which is the first strand of the mayor’s Cultural Infrastructure Plan for 2030. This will take into account a wide range of cultural assets, from dance studios to theatres and artists’ studios to nightclubs, with a view to embedding culture into the forthcoming London Plan. Khan said: ‘From the outset of my mayoralty, I’ve made safeguarding and growing the night-time economy a key priority and this simply isn’t possible without a thriving pub scene.’
Khan’s night czar, Amy Lamé, has launched a public consultation on culture and the night-time economy, which contains guidance on how boroughs can use the current London Plan to protect public houses from closure. This encourages boroughs to implement the ‘agent of change’ principle, which puts the onus on developers that build properties next to pubs to pay for soundproofing, ensuring residents and revellers can coexist peacefully. Everyone is invited to participate in this consultation by commenting on this document. Responses will inform culture and the night time economy in the new London Plan.
See the consultation, which ends on 31 May 2017
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