Milton Keynes defers late-night levy

The Council’s Licensing Committee decided to set up a cross party working group to further discuss the proposal before making a decision, a meeting last night concluded.

The new 222-member cross party group will consider additional evidence and procedural matters before reporting back to the Licensing Committee for a decision on the 25 September. The full Council will then be consulted for final approval and if introduced the levy would be in effect from 1 February 2014.

A levy would mean pubs, clubs and bars that are authorised to supply alcohol between 1am and 6am will have to pay an annual fee.

A fee was proposed after it was found that 36% of crimes between these times in 2012/13 were alcohol-related, compared to an average of 11% of alcohol-related crime for the whole day. 78% of violent crimes during the late night supply period were also alcohol related.

Chair of the Licensing Committee Stuart Burke said at the meeting that the Committee support the introduction of the levy in principle.

However the Council said there was “considerable resistance” from within the trade and concerns that the funds raised would not benefit all licensed premises but only those in the city centre.

JD Wetherspoon, Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers, Greene King and the British Beer and Pub Association all questioned the lack of information regarding the cost of policing the late night economy.

Some also queried whether a late-night levy was a proportionate response to the alcohol related crime levels in Milton Keynes.

Overall almost a third of all responses received were against any type of levy.

Milton Keynes police confirmed that any contribution raised by a levy would be used for Safer MK, an initiative to support the tackling of crime and disorder in the town.