Fitzrovia licence variation would extend hours and add live music
Mitchells and Butlers Leisure Retail Ltd has applied to Westminster Council to vary the premises licence for the Marquis of Granby, a public house at 2 Rathbone Street in Fitzrovia West. The company seeks extended hours for the sale of alcohol and permission to stage live music, with a public consultation open until 7 October 2026.
The application, lodged under reference 26/06731/LIPV, proposes changes to the current licence (25/06312/LIPDPS). Presently, the pub is permitted to sell alcohol for consumption on and off the premises from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from noon to 10:30 p.m. on Sundays. The variation requests later terminal hours and an earlier Sunday start.
| Current hours | Proposed hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Monday–Wednesday | 10:00–23:00 | 10:00–23:30 |
| Thursday–Saturday | 10:00–23:00 | 10:00–00:00 |
| Sunday | 12:00–22:30 | 10:00–22:30 |
Alongside the extended alcohol hours, the applicant is asking to add permission for live music to operate until the requested terminal hours. The application would also alter a number of conditions attached to the existing licence, though the specific condition changes must be consulted on via the council documents.
How residents can view or comment
The brief published by The Fitzrovia News notes that full application details are available on Westminster Council’s website. A public consultation on the variation is open to responses until 7 October 2026.
- Application reference: 26/06731/LIPV
- Premises: Marquis of Granby, 2 Rathbone Street, London W1T 1NR
- Consultation deadline: 7 October 2026
Local residents in the City of Westminster are offered free licensing advice through the Licensing Advice Project at Citizens Advice Westminster. The Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Association has also been identified as a contact for residents who wish to register objections or express support.
"Permission is now sought to extend the hours for alcohol sales to 11.30pm from Monday to Wednesday and to midnight from Thursday to Saturday, an earlier start time of 10am on Sunday, and to add permission for live music until those terminal hours."
For Granby readers, the application is an example of how licencing variations can reshape neighbourhood nightlife and community relations in city centres. Licence variations commonly prompt debate over late-night disturbance, economic activity and the cultural life of an area. In Westminster, where residents, businesses and visitors coexist in dense urban settings, such applications regularly attract detailed scrutiny.
Those wishing to follow the matter should check Westminster Council’s public registers for the licence documents and any associated representations. The Fitzrovia News has published a short notice summarising the application and providing links to the council page for the dossier.
While the matter concerns a London pub, it reflects broader regulatory processes that govern hospitality venues across the United Kingdom—and offers a point of comparison for Quebec communities considering their own late-night economy and noise-management policies.
