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Tower Hamlets becomes latest London borough to consult on late night levy

Tower Hamlets Council has become the latest London borough to consult on the introduction of a late night levy.

Key features of its proposed scheme are:

  • The levy revenue will be split between the council (30%) and the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime, which funds the Metropolitan Police (70%). It is proposed that the levy is allocated to the council through its current Community Safety Partnership.
  • The annual levy will range from £299 for Band A (rateable value) and £1,493 for Band E. Most premises in Tower Hamlets are rated as Band B (£768) or Band C (£1,259). The levy will raise between £20,000 and £450,000 per year.
  • Any licensee who wishes to amend their license and reduce the operating hours to before the time set for the levy will be able to do so via a free minor variation. The council proposes a 3-month period for these free variations to be provided.
  • Possible ideas for spending the levy funds include: taxi marshalls; street pastors; street cleaning; enforcement initiatives - night time enforcement officers; personal safety initiatives; health care facilities; additional police or private security. Financial support could also be provided to assist schemes that promote improved management of licenced premises, such as Best Bar None or Pub watch.
  • The late-night supply period is proposed to run from midnight to 6am.
  • Premises that may be allowed an exemption include: premises with overnight accommodation; theatres and cinemas; bingo halls; community amateur sports clubs; community premises; business improvement districts (though Tower Hamlets does not have a BID at the moment); New Year’s Eve (relating to premises which are authorised to sell alcohol between midnight and 6am, only on New Year's Day).
  • The council proposes a conditional reduction for those premises that are part of the Best Bar None scheme.
  • All aspects of the levy will be reconsidered at least every five years.

The consultation closes on 17 April. Details can be found here.

Tower Hamlets noted how the cost to the council of a special services agreement with the Metropolitan Police, under which additional staff are posted every Friday and Saturday night to deal with specific night-time economy issues, was in the region of £336,752 a year.

It added that there were approximately 200 alcohol-related ambulance call-outs per month in the borough. In relation to all ambulance call-outs in Tower Hamlets, on average 17% a week took place between midnight and 6am.

In January this year Camden Council voted in favour of the introduction of a late night levy. It followed the City of London Corporation and the London Borough of Islington in backing a scheme.