Since licensing laws were changed in 2005 to allow alcohol-related businesses to stay open longer, the town hall has made it a priority to protect local residents from the impact of late night drinking.

This has meant the vast majority of the borough's licensed premises are only allowed to stay open until midnight during the week and no later than 2am at weekends.

Wandsworth council says that its councillors have always believed that allowing these businesses to stay open very late into the night is inappropriate in a largely residential borough like Wandsworth.

There are now 1,224 local businesses that hold a liquor licence and nearly all are situated either adjacent to or very close to residential properties. Without reasonable controls on opening hours, councillors believe that many of their neighbours would suffer unacceptable noise levels, especially from customers leaving these premises late at night or in the early hours of the morning when ambient background noise levels are much lower.

The council believes that the existing controls on opening hours serve residents well and strike the right balance in allowing local businesses to flourish.

However, now that five years have passed since the last review,the council says it is important that members of the public are given a fresh chance to have their say on the policy.

Residents and businesses are now being asked to take part in a consultation and to say whether or not the current system should be retained or if more relaxed opening hours should be permitted. This consultation is running until February 1, 2019.

Chairman of the council's regulatory licensing committee, Cllr Guy Humphries, sai, "Our policies were originally drawn up following extensive consultation with residents, local amenity groups, the police and businesses involved in the drinks and entertainment industry.

"Five years have passed since the last review so it’s only right and proper that we ask the question again to make sure that our policies continue to properly reflect the views of local residents and also those of businesses.

"We believe that our policy strikes the right balance between protecting the interests of residents, taking steps to combat crime and disorder and also promoting the borough's night time economy.

"Wandsworth has a substantial residential population and it is our duty to ensure that business activity does not have a detrimental effect on the quality of life experienced by local people.

"There are more than 1,200 licensed premises in Wandsworth that are permitted to sell alcohol. It is important that we take steps to ensure they do not create unnecessary problems for their neighbours and the wider community."

For more information about the policy, the consultation and how to take part visit the council’s website.

Meanwhile Wandsworth Council is currently not proposing to change the way it advertises applications for premises licences to the public. This is despite criticism that many people do not get to hear about potentially disruptive licensing changes near where they live, because they are publicised in a newspaper that is not produced or distributed in the area.

The borough’s licensing department do not deem notices published on sites like WandsworthSW18.com and PutneySW15.com as being compliant with the Licensing Act even though no stipulation is made that such notices need to be printed. Readers of these sites are urged to respond to the consultation suggesting that this policy be reconsidered.