Does the Mayor’s strategic licensing pilot go far enough?
Venues and businesses in the UK require licences to sell alcohol, play music or serve food at night. This is governed by national legislation, predominantly the Licensing Act 2003. London is home to almost one-fifth (17%) of licensed premises across England and Wales, with 36,000 venues in the capital alone.1
In May 2025, a joint Government and industry-led taskforce into licensing reform made ten recommendations2 including the creation of a National Licensing Policy Framework aimed at ensuring consistency in how licensing decisions are made.
The Government said it would introduce powers for the Mayor of London to set a strategic licensing policy for the city, and to grant the Mayor call-in powers to make decisions that do not comply with this policy.
The Mayor has announced he will launch his Strategic Licensing Pilot in summer 2026. Key elements of the Mayor’s pilot include:
- A ‘call-in’ power for the Mayor and the GLA in relation to decisions made by London licensing authorities on certain applications of “potential strategic importance to Greater London”
- Introducing a statutory London Strategic Licensing Policy published by the Mayor
- A statutory consultation role for the Mayor on all local Statements of Licensing Policy
- The publication of a London Licensing Playbook3
The London Assembly Economy, Culture and Skills Committee will speak to guests tomorrow about the Mayor’s upcoming strategic licensing pilot, and discuss whether the pilot goes far enough to improve the experience of businesses in London, or if there is a risk it will not go far enough.
The guests are:
Panel 1 (14:00 – approx. 15:15)
- Alun Thomas, Partner, Thomas and Thomas LLP
- Brian Hook, Director, Arts Theatre, Marble Arch
- Jim Cathcart, Policy Director, UKHospitality
Panel 2 (approx. 15:15 – 17:00)
- Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries
- Marsha Kuye MBE, Head of 24-Hour London and Licensing, Greater London Authority
The meeting will take place on Wednesday 24 June from 2pm, in the Chamber at City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE.
Media and members of the public are invited to attend.
The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.
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Notes to editors
- GLA Economics, Devolving licensing powers to the GLA: Context, challenges and opportunities, August 2025
- See Licensing policy sprint: joint industry and HM government taskforce report, updated 14 August 2025
- Mayor of London, London Strategic Licensing Pilot: Consultation document
- Read the agenda in full.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
Bassam Mahfouz AM, Chair the Economy, Culture and Skills Committee, is available for interview.
Find out more about the work of the Economy, Culture and Skills Committee
For media enquiries, please contact Tony Smyth on 07763 251 727 or at [email protected]. For out of hours media enquiries, call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the London Assembly duty press officer.