The Prime Minister's office criticized the move by the London local council to ban 'standing and drinking' A move by a London local council to ban 'standing and drinking' in the city's public places has drawn criticism from the Prime Minister's office. The Prime Minister's office said on the 2nd that it is "understanding" that the London Borough of Hackney's move to ban 'standing and drinking' in some public places from the 1st was "not suitable". Hackney Council announced on the 30th of last month that it would prohibit 'standing and drinking' in some public places, such as outside bars and cafes in the borough, from the 1st of this month. The council explained that it would allow people to drink only when sitting on chairs or benches set up in designated areas. The Prime Minister's office responded that it would "monitor the situation" while expressing its position that it is "understanding" that the measure is "not suitable". Regarding the council's move, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister's office said, "We understand that there are problems with drinking in public, but we also know that there are many people who drink in a civilized manner." The spokesperson added, "We think that the measures taken by Hackney Council are not suitable, and we will monitor the situation." On the other hand, Hackney Council said that it had introduced the measure to reduce "excessive drinking" and improve "quality of life" for local residents. The council also said that it would take a "balanced approach" to enforce the measure while also providing support for local businesses. Hackney Council's move has sparked controversy, with some residents expressing their opposition to the ban on social media. However, the council said that it would continue to work with local residents and businesses to find a solution that works for everyone.
A draft policy by London's Westminster City Council aims to limit the traditional British pub practice of 'standing and drinking a pint' (vertical drinking) and has sparked controversy locally. According to reports from the UK's Guardian and BBC, the Westminster City Council, which oversees pub and restaurant liquor licenses in West London, included provisions in a recent draft policy for new liquor licenses to encourage establishments to add more seating in their liquor service areas.
The policy suggests that pubs applying for new licenses should "provide more seats in liquor service areas to prevent excessive drinking, allow people to sit and enjoy their drinks, and order food through staff." The proposal targets areas like Soho and Richmond-upon-Thames, which have high concentrations of liquor-selling pubs and bars.
The Council believes that these areas often experience crowded streets and rowdy crowds in the evenings. However, the move has sparked criticism from locals who deny that the policy seeks to undermine pub culture. UK Prime Minister's spokesman, Andy Burnham, noted in the Guardian that "the conviviality of people gathering in crowded pubs is not a source of public inconvenience, but a daily reality of British society that supports thousands of jobs."
London Mayor's spokesman, Sadique Khan, called it a "policy that hinders growth." Westminster City Council, however, denied plans to ban vertical drinking, stating that the draft is merely a consultation document and that the policy's aim is to increase table service areas to reduce noise and disorder.
Written by urgent.news from Hankyoreh's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
