City night venues tax axed with immediate effect

4 hours ago

Hannah MitchellNorth East and Cumbria

News image — Venues in Newcastle city centre had been subject to the late night levy since 2013

PA An image of the Millennium Bridge in Gateshead, Newcastle, at night. The bridge is lit up in green and the coloured light is reflecting off the water below. In the background, buildings are lit up against the dark sky. — Venues in Newcastle city centre had been subject to the late night levy since 2013

A charge on a city's pubs, bars and clubs that funded safety measures has been scrapped.

Newcastle City Council took the decision to repeal the late night levy with immediate effect at a meeting on Wednesday.

Venues had been charged an annual fee of between £299 and £4,400 and the levy has raised more than £3m since its introduction in 2013.

The charge was used to fund safety measures, but industry leaders called for it to be dropped because of financial pressures facing the hospitality sector. Council leader Colin Ferguson said the tax had placed an "unfair burden" on businesses.

The levy was applied to more than 280 businesses with a licence to sell alcohol between midnight and 06:00.

It had been used to fund extra police patrols, taxi marshals and CCTV in the city centre, but Ferguson said it was "no longer fit for purpose".

"The late night levy was a measure introduced when the character of the city's nightlife was different to what it is today.

"Now, at a time when our pubs, bars and clubs are under so much pressure, it is no longer fit for purpose and places an unfair burden on a small number of licensed venues in the city," he said.

Commitment to safety

Newcastle was one of only three cities outside London to apply the charge, as well as Liverpool, where a levy is still applied to most venues.

Ferguson said he was pleased with the decision and it would give venues "some breathing room".

He also said the council's commitment to safety of the nighttime economy remained "as firm as ever".

"The positive work that the levy supported will continue," Ferguson said.

Northumbria Police's chief superintendent Barrie Joisce said the force remained "steadfast" policing nighttime business areas.

"We will carry on our regular proactive officer patrols, both uniformed and plain-clothed, to prevent crime and disorder and keep people, including the vulnerable, safe in the process," he said.

'Challenging times'

NE1, the Business Improvement District company for the city centre, had led a campaign to axe the levy, citing the disproportionate impact on premises trading only briefly after midnight and those located outside Newcastle's major hotspots.

Chief executive Stephen Patterson said: "The abolition of the late-night levy is great news for hospitality businesses and provides some financial relief for the sector, which still faces challenging times."

The scheme will officially end on 31 October, but no new bills will be issued in the meantime.

Businesses with outstanding bills will still be expected to pay them.

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