Central London to get designated “quiet zones” amid ongoing nightlife battle
The move, intended to appease local residents amid ongoing noise complaints, has proved controversial already
by Laura Molloy · NMEA new nighttime plan has been unveiled in London, which details “quiet nights” and “quiet zones” in an effort to reduce complaints from residents.
Westminster Council have announced plans to create designated late-night entertainment zones in Oxford Street, the Strand and Victoria Street to move noise away from those living near venues in central London.
Louder activities and events, such as concerts, will be encouraged to take place in the specified areas after ongoing noise complaints from locals.
It comes alongside encouragement from the council for businesses to introduce “quiet nights”, with designated calm zones for neurodiverse people to access, per Metro.
100 additional CCTV cameras are also reportedly set to be installed in efforts to improve the safety of the area, with emphasis placed on protecting LGBTQ+ venues.
The move to appease residents is controversial for business owners in central London, who accuse the council of only listening to locals and not prioritising the area’s culture.
Since Covid lockdowns, London has experienced a 19% decline in late night venues. Most recently, G-A-Y owner Jeremy Joseph shared that he had put the iconic Soho venue up for sale due to strict licensing rules in the area. He added that there was no point trying to keep the venue open because Soho has “lost its vibrancy”.
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Westminster Councillor Geoff Barraclough 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.”
The Mayor of London recently announced the launch of London’s new independent Nightlife Taskforce after the city’s former Night Czar Amy Lamé stepped down in October.
In October, a report from the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) found that UK clubbing could be “extinct” by the end of the decade.
The new figures revealed that 37 per cent of all clubs across the country have permanently shut since March 2020 – an average of three clubs a week and 150 per year. If the trend continues, all spaces in the UK will have closed their doors by December 31, 2029.
Before then, the NTIA revealed that 31 per cent of nightclubs in the UK were forced to close last year, and in August 2023, the association shared that over 100 independent nightclubs across the UK were forced to shut their doors permanently over the past 12 months.
The issue expands beyond clubs too. Findings from Music Venue Trust last year (MVT) discovered a “disaster” that hit grassroots music venues as a whole across 2023.
Among the key findings into their “most challenging year”, it was reported that across 2023, 125 UK venues abandoned live music and over half of them had shut entirely, including the legendary Moles in Bath.
Some of the more pressing constraints were reported as soaring energy prices, landlords increasing rate amounts, supply costs, business rates, licensing issues, noise complaints and the continuing shockwaves of COVID-19.