00:00The call for more resources comes after a row over Westminster's draft licensing policy,
00:06which was criticised for proposing to curb standing-up drinking in Soho pubs.
00:11The council said those responding to a consultation on draft changes to Westminster's licensing policy
00:17consistently asked for more support for licensed venues such as pubs, bars, restaurants and nightclubs.
00:25As well as asking the Mayor of London, Lord Sadiq Khan, to invest in more policing,
00:30the council called for night buses to be extended and for a night-tube service to be introduced on Thursdays.
00:37They said investing in late-night transport, including by improving taxi and private hire options,
00:43would limit closing-time crowds and help people leave the area safely.
00:49A council spokesman said venues hoping to secure a licence could help their application,
00:54by considering ways to remove opportunities for vertical drinking, but insisted there is no plan to ban it.
01:01The draft document also contained a presumption against approving new pubs, bars or nightclubs in Soho,
01:08referred to as the Cumulative Impact Area.
01:11Responding to the council's plans in August, Lord Kahn urged the authority to think again and scrap the proposed presumption.
01:19A council spokesman has now confirmed there will not be a blanket ban on new licensed venues in Soho
01:25and the policy wording will be updated to make that clear.
