Sadiq Khan vows to overrule residents’ group’s objections to Soho bars and restaurants

Sadiq Khan, London’s mayor, said he would use new powers granted to him by government, coming into force later this year, to ‘extend London’s late-night offer’. Photograph: Jack Taylor/Getty Images for SXSW London

Sadiq Khan, the London mayor, has suggested he will overrule a residents’ society that has vowed to challenge all new applications for pubs and restaurants in Soho.

The Guardian revealed last week that the Soho Society, a residents’ group established in 1972 aimed at “preserving the character of Soho”, voted for a new licensing mandate, meaning it will challenge all new applications for bars and restaurants in the area, including renewals of existing licences.