Following extensive consultation with residents, businesses, cultural institutions, visitors and night worker, Westminster’s Labour administration has produced Westminster After Dark – a blueprint for managing the city after 6pm.

Although the strategy includes many suggestions for improvement, the first set of actions mainly concern security, particularly to ensure that women can enjoy a safe night out.

Key recommendations include:

• All new licensed venues will need to show they are prioritising women’s safety, with a zero-tolerance approach to harassment and predatory behaviour.
• An extra 100 CCTV cameras, improved street lighting, and an expanded joint council and police unit to tackle anti-social behaviour and crime hotspots.
• Encouraging non-alcohol-led activities at night such as extended retail hours and later museum openings
• Setting up Westminster’s first Late-Night Entertainment Zones on Oxford Street, The Strand, and Victoria Street to encourage music, theatre, and creative venues to set up on wide streets with good transport links and few residents.
• Prioritising support and protection for culturally significant LGBTQ+ spaces, ensuring they continue to thrive as safe and inclusive venues.
• Lobbying Transport for London (TfL) to restore night bus services and expand safe, reliable transport options after dark.
• Creating opportunities for our residents to work in Westminster’s thriving hospitality, creative, and cultural industries
• Encouraging venues to host sensory-friendly ‘quiet nights’ with reduced noise levels, dimmed lighting, and designated calm zones (to provide venues for neurodiverse people to enjoy Westminster After Dark). *N.B. Updated to clarify point see below.

The draft strategy is now open for public consultation.

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

“Westminster After Dark aims to balance the needs of a thriving evening and nighttime offer with the wellbeing of the residents who call Westminster their home.

“This new strategy is our response to the obvious challenges of managing these competing demands. Following extensive engagement, Westminster After Dark explores how we will remain a welcoming, innovative, inclusive, and liveable city with something on offer for everyone.  

“I know that many people feel passionately about this subject. Please get involved and respond to the consultation.”

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

“Westminster has long been a global hub of activity and culture, drawing visitors from around the world with its unique mix of history, entertainment, and innovation.

“As the city continues to attract visitors and businesses to its vibrant evening and night-time scene, we are prioritising a safer night-time environment. We will help residents and visitors feel more secure with our measures tackling anti-social behaviour and improving women’s safety, which will boost economic opportunities for night-time venues.

“We want the strategy to enhance the city between 6pm and 6am as a welcoming, thriving, and resilient place for everyone.” 

*Website updated to clarify this section is a reference to Action AP1 – Enhancing Accessibility, Comfort, and Inclusivity in Westminster’s Evening and Night-Time Spaces We will cultivate an evening and night time environment in Westminster that champions accessibility, safety, and comfort by addressing the diverse needs of residents, workers, and visitors. Our focus will be on enhancing physical, sensory, and mental health accessibility through key initiatives that aim to ensure Westminster’s evening and night-time spaces are welcoming, inclusive, and enjoyable for everyone, whether exploring independently or with others. Original text on this website read: Encouraging venues to host ‘quiet nights’ with reduced noise levels, dimmed lighting, and designated calm zones.’

(Photo credit Andy Bird  using  Deed – Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic – Creative Commons)