Soho Society chair Tim Lord

AS the Mayor of London says, Soho is busier than ever. It also has more licensed premises than ever, including late licences.

Soho has 491 licensed premises of which 121 are late-night licences with terminal hours between 1am and 6am.

These late-night licensed premises have a capacity of 22,827.

Between 2020 and 2023 an additional 51 new alcohol licences were granted with a capacity of over 4,245. Licences are rarely revoked even when there are serious breaches of conditions, such as failing to protect the crime scene when a rape is committed on the premises, or failing to detain an assailant in the case of a serious sexual assault (two recent examples).

The idea that Soho is lacking in late-night choices because of licensing or has overly strict licence enforcement – as suggested by the Soho Business Alliance (SBA) – is far from the truth.

It is true that some of the Soho offer is now aimed at the global wealthy – clubs and private members’ clubs, less and less at the average Londoner – so it is very expensive.

For example, Le Cirque in Ganton Street charges £1,000 per table.

While it is true that this might put some people off it is not clear why these businesses, aimed at a wealthy elite, require a further subsidy or help from the mayor.

Violence in the borough of Westminster is also concentrated in the West End areas. 47 per cent (4,879) of all violence in Westminster takes place in West End and St James’s wards. Approximately 59 per cent (6,028) took place during the night-time, most concentrated in the period just prior to and after midnight.

This places Westminster in contrast with other boroughs, as our violence is not in highly deprived areas but locations with an active night-time economy.

Concentrated late-night activity involving alcohol attracts criminal gangs that prey on the punters, identifying the vulnerable when they queue outside venues and following them as they disperse at the end of the night.

Later hours, as requested by the SBA, would put yet further strain on police resources which are already woefully insufficient.

This is confirmed by the police figures.

The West End hosts 65 per cent of all crime in Westminster which last year cost the public and crime victims £371million (up £56million in a year).

Post-midnight bars and clubs currently make no direct contribution to the costs they impose on the public. Any further help from the mayor, if granted, would be in addition to this free ride.

A key problem for businesses is the ever increasing rents they pay (which have doubled since 2009 and are now rising again due to upwards only rent reviews every five years).

That means prices are high, staff salaries constrained, businesses constantly under pressure to make ends meet, and the customer offer is less and less appealing.

Soho used to be a red light district with a certain transgressive charm.

Once the sex industry left it was bought up by property companies that have done well from the increasingly mainstream appeal of Soho to visitors and overseas tourists and now generates millions in rent and rates (rates around £230million annually, rent maybe twice that) but also puts a large burden of costs on the public due to increased crime and nuisance.

Maybe what is actually needed is for the night time industry to start making a contribution to the costs it imposes on public resources in terms of crime and nuisance.

If the night-time economy started to pay its way and crime and nuisance were brought under control, Soho might offer a much better and safer night out for everyone.