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The Tory-run council has now been accused of 'breathtaking arrogance'

A Conservative council will press ahead with its push to restrict "vertical drinking" despite a mass public outcry.

Westminster City Council had launched a controversial consultation into its new licensing policy earlier this year.

It was seeking views on whether it should continue with its "cumulative impact zone", which would refuse applications for bars and pubs in London's West End except in exceptional circumstances.

The plan means that venues are made responsible for anti-social behaviour or crime across the wider West End, rather than directly outside their premises.

It also said new licences for pubs and bars should be granted to venues with table service rather than those that take orders at the bar, and where patrons sit to drink rather than stand.

More than four in five people disagreed with the "cumulative impact zone" plan.

Nearly nine in 10 said it would be bad for business in the area.

Landlords across the nation, backed by the Prime Minister, warned the restrictions would harm businesses and destroy a cherished British tradition.

But despite the firm response, the council is going ahead with its plan.

It said that people who wrote to complain did not understand the phrasing in its licensing document.

The council's deputy leader Tim Barnes insisted "there was never any threat to standing and having a pint, so we haven't changed anything" - despite the crackdown on new applications which offer exactly that.

Alongside the council, the "Soho Society" will challenge every single new application for venues that want to open beyond "core hours", which end between 10.30pm and midnight.

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Soho has been known as a hotspot for nightlife and entertainment since the 19th century. The Soho Society was set up in 1972.

"The arrogance of Westminster council is breathtaking," London Mayor Lord Khan told The Guardian.

"By ignoring all those who oppose their plans and viewing hospitality in the heart of our capital city as a problem, they are letting down businesses, residents and our economy.

"Running our world-famous nightlife district with a Nimby village-hall mindset is simply not sustainable," he added.

In its final plan, Westminster City Council says that "when considering new licence applications, [it must] discourage excessive drunkenness and encourage the provision of more seating in premises that serve alcohol for people to sit and enjoy a drink and order food by table service in place of open bar space that caters for high volume vertical drinking."

The council says it recently approved a new pub in the "cumulative impact zone", called The Lady in Covent Garden.

But most of the space in that pub is for a sit-down restaurant.

The document even says the bar on the pub's bottom floor would not usually be allowed, but it was given the green light because it will "only operate in association with the restaurant use".