McDonald’s Leicester Square granted 24‑hour premises licence as exception to Westminster’s cumulative impact policy

Following a contested hearing before Westminster City Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee on 23 July 2026, McDonald’s flagship restaurant in Leicester Square, London, has been granted a new premises licence allowing it to trade 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The new licence replaces the existing licence, under which the venue was required to close at 3am.

The application was resisted by the Metropolitan Police, the Licensing Authority and Environmental Health officers on policy grounds. Westminster’s Statement of Licensing Policy contains a rebuttable presumption against granting applications of this kind because the restaurant is located within the West End Cumulative Impact Zone (CIP1). The responsible authorities relied on specific concerns about crime, disorder and public nuisance in Leicester Square during the early hours. Under the cumulative impact policy, an applicant must demonstrate genuinely exceptional circumstances showing that the grant will not add to the existing cumulative impact.

In granting the application, the Council was also persuaded to depart from its policies for fast-food takeaway premises (FFP1) and from its hours policy (HRS1), given the hours sought.

The Leicester Square branch of McDonald’s serves more than 1 million customers each year. It is operated by Capital Arches Group Ltd (“CAG”), the largest McDonald’s franchisee in the UK, which operates around 38 restaurants in London and the Home Counties.

CAG argued that its presence and proactive management already made a significant contribution to improving the public realm in Leicester Square. Through its work with, and contributions to, the Heart of London Business Alliance (“HOLBA”), the local Business Improvement District, CAG funded private security patrols in the square through the “My Local Bobby” scheme. That scheme helped to support the limited early-hours resources available to the Metropolitan Police, which the police had referred to in their representations. CAG submitted that extending McDonald’s licence would also enable the extension of My Local Bobby patrols, producing a positive impact on the licensing objectives rather than adding to existing problems.

McDonald’s was also the only accredited “Safe Haven” premises in Leicester Square. Safe Havens operate under a Westminster City Council scheme and provide a temporary place for women and vulnerable individuals to recover and make their way home safely. CAG submitted that if the restaurant could remain open for 24 hours, it would be able to provide a Safe Haven throughout the night. That, it argued, would support the licensing objectives, particularly the prevention of crime and disorder and the promotion of public safety. It goes directly to the addressing one of the harms that the cumulative impact policy was brought in to address. It was argued that the grant would also be consistent with Westminster’s wider policy strategies, including measures to strengthen protections for women and girls in the West End’s night-time economy and promote the hospitality industry whilst mitigating harms to residents. Recent amendments to the Secretary of State’s Guidance issued under the Licensing Act 2003 (“Guidance”, §1.19) reinforce the need for licensing decisions to have regard to relevant local policies outside of licensing. CAG also pointed to the National Licensing Policy Framework, which supported a more permissive approach to decision-making in light of the importance of the leisure and hospitality industry to the UK economy.

CAG proposed a further package of conditions, including a limitation on capacity after midnight. As a result, the new licence would contain conditions representing a significant upgrade on those attached to the existing licence.

The claimed benefits to the licensing objectives were not merely speculative. Over the last two years, the restaurant had operated through the night under a series of temporary event notices. Some of those late openings were observed by Sylvia Oates of Six Till Six, a leading consultancy on the night-time economy, and Andrew Bamber, a former Metropolitan Police Borough Commander and now an independent licensing consultant. Both prepared detailed expert reports concluding that a 24-hour licence for McDonald’s would benefit the area not harm it. Their conclusions were echoed in supporting letters from other major venues around the square, including the operators of The Hippodrome Casino and The Londoner Hotel, as well as HOLBA.

CAG also relied on the economic benefits that would flow from the grant, including benefits for staff members who depended on overnight shifts for their income. It referred to the recent amendment to the Guidance, which states at §1.18: “When making licensing decisions, all licensing authorities should consider the need to promote growth and deliver economic benefits”.

The agenda papers and a video recording of the hearing are available here.

Gary Grant acted for the applicant, Capital Arches Group Ltd, instructed by the licensing consultants Joshua Simons & Associates.