LGA: late night levy won't lead to real change

By Lesley Foottit

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Late-night levy Tax Local government

Bill is set to change licensing laws
Bill is set to change licensing laws
A senior councillor has argued that the late-night levy will not "effect any real change" as it has not been set high enough. At a committee...

A senior councillor has argued that the late-night levy will not "effect any real change" as it has not been set high enough.

At a committee meeting on the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill, which includes plans to shake-up licensing, councillor Richard Kemp, vice-chair of the Local Government Association (LGA), said the bill was "doomed to failure", if it focused on financial changes.

"We cannot assume that we can make fundamental changes by minor tinkering with the costs of licensing." He said "if" a levy is going to be set, it should be set at a level that brings in "enough money to do something".

He added that "£1,000 for a property will not make a bad landlord behave better".

Angst

British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) director of pub and leisure Martin Rawlings said venues involved in Best Bar None and Purple Flag schemes should be recognised in the Bill.

"Our angst with the Bill is that there is not enough recognition of what is going on," he said. "There are lots of things going on that seek to address the problems in town centres in a collaborative way."

Rural pubs

Rawlings said that although rural pubs would not often be affected by the late-night levy, which cannot be imposed before 12am, they would be hit when opening later for just one night, such as New Year's Eve.

"It cannot be right, therefore, to address a problem in a town centre by taxing a pub that might be 50 miles away and that would get no benefit from that service," he said. "So, every business in that local authority area would need to pay the tax. Surely, that cannot be fair."

Partnership

Kemp agreed and Jeremy Beadles of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) added: "Our concern is that problem businesses should be tackled and should come up with the resources to tackle their problems, but businesses that are trading responsibly, and will not get any extra services, should not be taxed.

"We should be looking at a different type of approach — a partnership approach — to tackling these issues."

Underage sales

Rawlings and Kemp agreed that doubling the maximum fine for underage sales from £10,000 was unnecessary, as suggested in the Bill.

"Our view is that detection and shaming is probably going to be more important than an increased fine or other penalties," said Kemp.

"I echo the point that great strides have been made where the industry and the local authority work together. It is a question of whether finance makes that much of a difference. I do not think that it does."

Related topics Licensing law

Property of the week

Follow us

Pub Trade Guides

View more