Policy information sourced from the Westminster City Plan

16. Food, drink and entertainment

A: Proposals for food and drink and entertainment uses will be of a type and size appropriate to their location. The over-concentration of those uses will be further prevented where this could harm residential amenity, the vitality and character of the local area or the diversity that defines the role and function of the town centre. Applications for entertainment uses will need to demonstrate wider benefits for the local community, where appropriate. PROTECTION

OF PUBLIC HOUSES

B: Public houses will be protected throughout Westminster, except where there is no reasonable prospect of its continued use as a public house, as evidenced by appropriate marketing for a period of at least 18 months. Replacement of ancillary spaces on upper floors to public houses, such as function rooms or accommodation, may be acceptable where it can be satisfactorily demonstrated that loss of this floorspace will not compromise the viability or function of the public house.

HOT FOOD TAKEAWAYS AND DELIVERIES

C: Proposals for hot food takeaways within 200m walking distance from the entrance of a primary or secondary school will not be supported.

D: Provision for food deliveries from restaurants or cafés, including facilities for platform-based delivery, will only be supported where it is demonstrated that the facilities do not result in a change of use to hot food takeaway or other uses including composite / sui generis uses.

E: Purpose-built facilities for platform-based deliveries will only be supported when they are purposely designed to limit the adverse impacts of this type of delivery mechanism.

SHISHA SMOKING

F: The use of premises and outdoor areas for shisha smoking in exceptional circumstances may be permitted within the town centre hierarchy, provided any unacceptable impacts on public health and the amenity of the surrounding area (including residential properties, the pedestrian environment and the operational requirements of existing businesses in the vicinity) are adequately mitigated. Applicants will therefore be required to demonstrate how any negative impacts of the proposal can be mitigated through the implementation of a management plan for the premises.

For more information please see the City Plan