Leeds City Council considers late night levy
The levy, introduced as part of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act, is an annual fee collected from licensed premises authorised to sell alcohol between midnight and 6am. Pubs can be charged anything between £299 to £4,400 depending on the rateable value of the premises.
A Leeds City Council spokeswoman said: “The council is currently looking at the late night levy and is in principle interested in progressing this scheme. Officers have been asked to work through the options and details and bring forward proposals for a scheme to be considered by Licensing Committee.”
Leeds City Council follows Brentwood Council in Essex,which is considering a range of options to manage the late night economy. A public meeting set to be held in June will cover early morning restriction orders (EMROs), which can restrict the sale of alcohol in a certain area between midnight and 6am, the late-night levy and cumulative impact policies (CIPs).
This is in the same week as Milton Keynes also launched its consultation into the introduction of a late night levy.
Meanwhile, Norwich police have continued to push to introduce a policy that will force pubs and bars in three areas of the city to close at 3am and 3.45am.
The EMRO will prohibit the sale of alcohol between 3am and 6am from Monday to Friday, and 3.45am to 6am on Saturday and Sunday.
The three areas of Norwich are: London Street, Bank Plain, Queens Street, Upper King Street and Tombland; Prince of Wales Road, Rose Lane and St Vedast Street; and the Riverside Development, Koblenz Avenue and Wherry Road.
There are a number of licensed premises outside the three zones, however the police “believe that an EMRO is not proportionate at these locations based upon current levels of crime and disorder”.
