London needs "an active 24-hour licensing regime”

The London Night Time Commission, appointed by the Mayor of London,​ said nighttime should be made a priority for policymakers across the city.

European venues which are “recognised as national cultural destinations for locals and tourists alike", such as Berlin’s exclusive Berghain nightclub, should be looked to, the commission concluded.

A new report, titled ‘Think Night: London’s neighbourhoods from 6pm to 6am’​ made 10 recommendations including conducting research into longer opening hours and a late-night transport working group to ensure the city’s 1.6m night workers’ safe travel.

Empty spaces

Retail units or cultural spaces which are usually empty come dusk could be used to host pop up bars and restaurants at night in a bid to aid struggling high streets.

Public art exhibitions and performances could also encourage spending in these hours. Parks, museums, and libraries could also offer evening events and extended hours, to further encourage the nighttime economy, the report said.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said the city’s nighttime economy​ was essential to its economic success but had been viewed as an afterthought.

“I’m determined that London is a city that works for all, 24-hours a day, and that’s why I’ve been working hard to champion the nighttime economy and asked the Night Time Commission to help realise our ambitions,” he said.

Local visions

A London Night Time Data Observatory should be created to centralise data on the economy, transport, licensing, infrastructure, safety and health, to inform policymakers, the report suggested.

Kate Nicholls, chair of the commission, said every borough should outline a positive vision for their local economy.

“We can extend the opening hours of our traditional cultural offerings to reach more Londoners and we can bring underused spaces to life at night and help tackle the decline of our high streets,” she said.

John Timothy, chief executive of the Portman Group​, whose research found that 92% of councils believed the nighttime economy could prevent the decline of high-street retail, said it shared the view partnership working was crucial.

More than a third of Londoners find it too expensive to go out in the nighttime economy, according to a report commissioned by the Greater London Authority and published last year​.