Pubs, like news brands, play a huge part in the community and
While London’s nightlife is a contentious issue, with some likely to argue if there is much of a nightlife in 2025, what cannot be argued is this city’s love for a pub. Whether you are catching up with friends or family over a pint, seeking glory at a quiz night or grabbing the prime spot to watch the football, London’s pubs are hugely important for community cohesion.
MyLondon backs our capital’s night-time economy and appreciate the challenges the hospitality sector faces in the current climate with rising costs and cash-challenged customers. We champion new ventures, cover plans to boost London’s nightlife to allow more venues to open and share the sadness when old favourites shut – the announcement of the closure G-A-Y on Old Compton Street a recent high profile case.
London’s night-time economy is thriving in many neighbourhoods, with Peckham newly named the ‘coolest place to live’, 17 pubs in South London just added to CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide with 11 more in West London and The Red Lion and Sun in Highgate Village crowned the best in the city.
It’s why we back some of the sensible proposals to support the hospitality industry recommended by the government’s Licensing Taskforce as part of its review of the Licensing Act 2003. However, as a news brand, as well as celebrating everything our city has to offer, we are committed to keeping our print readers in South London and across West London as well as our online audience informed about what’s happening in the communities we call home.
That’s why plans to scrap laws requiring alcohol licensing notices to be published in printed local newspapers such as the Croydon Advertiser, Uxbridge Gazette, Hounslow Chronicle and the Gazette covering areas from Ealing to Fulham are a real concern.
Launched on October 9 by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and business secretary Peter Kyle the proposals mean plans to open a new pub or nightclub, or for an existing venue to change its opening hours, would no longer be publicised within our communities.
I love my local pub but I’d want to know if it was planning to extend its opening hours to 1am because if I have a strong opinion on it I’d want to be able to have my say. And these changes really do remove our right to know what is happening on our doorsteps and exclude local people from decisions that affect their daily lives.
Because these notices give residents a voice on new venues opening up, changes to licensing hours, or proposed developments that may impact local amenities. Axing them will have a huge impact on accountability in local decision-making.
We know MyLondon is a lifeline and a trusted source for many readers – not just for articles on news but also the information found in our public notices section. It’s why we joined forces with other publishers to launch a Public Notices Portal so our vast online audience has access to the same vital information that can impact their lives.
And it’s why we think it is important for MyLondon journalists to report from licensing hearings revealing a West London pub that’s been shut for years will reopen despite 33 locals trying to stop it, that a new café near Chelsea FC’s Stamford Bridge stadium gets permission to extend hours and serve alcohol and to cover residents’ fears over disturbances as a café in the basement of an old church plans boozy events.
These hearings also allow us to report on the familiar pattern playing out North London of plans to convert a bank into an adult gaming centre being given the green light, despite more than 60 objections and the worsening antisocial behaviour in a borough with street drinking, littering and intimidation.
MyLondon will be fighting these proposals. Not because we don’t support our hospitality sector, we do. Pubs, like news brands, play a huge part in community cohesion.
But we believe our readers have a right to know what’s happening where they live, which is why we’re telling ministers they must change course and commit to keeping public notices in highly trusted newspapers.
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