Late Night Levy: A Look into the Issues and Possible Solutions from Poppleston Allen 6
CLH News
Apr/May 2023
Ahead of the Government’s public consultation on Late Night Levy charges coming to a close on 3rd April 2023, licensing solicitors Poppleston Allen (www.popall.co.uk) have shared insight into the nature of the levy and what it means for businesses. Associate solicitor Suraj Desor has highlighted the main criticisms of the levy at present, from operators seeing it as ‘not very effective’ and councils and licensing officers are finding difficulty with its inflexibility, and why even if changes are made, that still might not be enough to tempt councils to adopt it.
WHY HAVE SO FEW COUNCILS IMPLEMENTED THE LEVY? Currently, nine councils across England have the Late Night Levy in place – far less than the Government had predicted (80) would opt for the levy. It is fair to say there has not been great appetite for adopting a levy, however within the London ‘bubble’ at least, the levy has found a home and two thirds of the total number of levies adopted in England are within London (Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Southwark the most recent with the others being City of London, Islington and Camden). There may be various reasons for this including significant concentration of licenced premises and demands on policing the nighttime economy in the capital and an additional revenue stream may be a temptation difficult to resist in a time of reduced budgets for local authorities. Outside London, the levy is more widely spread, with the levy in place in Newcastle, Chelmsford and Liverpool. Liverpool recently decided to retain its levy for now, following a consultation on the basis it was seen as a vital revenue stream in assisting in managing the night time economy. In the current economic climate and reduced budgets for local authorities you would think an additional revenue stream would be welcomed with open arms, however, on the whole, councils have resisted the temptation. From my experience, some councils and licensing officers share operator’s views, considering the power too blunt an instrument which lacks flexibility (applying to either the whole of a local authority’s jurisdiction or not at all) – with significant numbers of operators outside main city centres seen to be unfairly affected and some giving up
later hours to avoid the levy as a result. There are also some criticisms that the use of proceeds lacks transparency.
WHY HAVE SEVERAL COUNCILS ABOLISHED IT? Of those local authorities that have adopted the levy, three of them have successfully removed it since (Nottingham being the most recent, others being Southampton and Cheltenham), citing significant financial pressures on businesses within the hospitality sector. Removing the levy would reduce the burden on existing licensees and remove costs that may be considered a barrier to incoming and expanding businesses. Another factor has been the use of BIDs (Business Improvement Districts) considered a better and more flexible alternative as all businesses within the BID area pay towards the BID as opposed to simply those premises licensed for sale of alcohol late at night, which can generate more money as a result compared to a levy. This view is most evident in the case of Cheltenham where the levy was adopted but only collected half the revenue anticipated and was swiftly replaced with a BID.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS REMOVING IT CAN HAVE FOR BUSINESS? There is a feeling amongst operators and trade bodies that the levy is not very effective and is an unjustified additional cost which further stifles the recovery of the night-time economy. Where a levy is removed, the benefits are clear for publicans, it removes an additional financial burden in an already difficult economic climate, and those monies can be used towards dealing with escalating costs or investing in their business.
WHAT IS THE CURRENT CONSULTATION TAKING PLACE AND WHAT MAY THE FUTURE HOLD? To address these criticisms the Government has sought to improve the levy and make its use more appealing for local authorities through changes made via the Policing and Crime Act 2017. These changes include: * flexibility to allow councils to ‘localise’ the levy to certain areas rather than applying it to the whole council area so it is more geographically focused on the perceived source of late-night problems, * allow the levy to apply to late-night refreshment premises that serve hot food and operate beyond midnight, * and require publications of information on how revenue is spent. However, these changes are still yet to take effect because the Government pledged to first consult on the level of charge to be applicable to premises providing Late Night Refreshment. That consultation is now underway and closes on 3 April 2023, bringing us closer to the changes coming into effect. If the Government retains the levy, and these changes come into effect, councils put off by the inflexible nature of the levy may have a renewed interest – even then, whether this ‘levy lite’ will be preferable to BIDs, as with most things in life, only time will tell. But until then, appetite for adopting the levy is likely to remain mild at best.
Winners Announced in PubAid Community Pub Hero Awards Three pubs have been named as overall winners in the Community Pub Hero Awards, the national competition organised by PubAid and the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group (APPBG).
Each winning pub received a trophy and both Matthew Clark and PubAid will be donating £250 each to a charity chosen by the pub. The Community Pub Hero Awards first ran in 2018, with entries and interest growing every year. The Awards now offer two categories for pubs: Community Support Hero and Charity Fundraising Hero, and a Community Regular Hero where pubs nominated a supportive customer.
The winners were selected from a list of 15 finalists, who all impressed the judges with their outstanding support for their local communities and charity. The overall winners, announced at an awards presentation in the House of Commons on 28 March, are: • Community Support Pub Hero: The Bellflower, Garstang, Preston, Lancashire • Charity Fundraising Pub Hero: The Beeswing Inn, Northallerton, Yorkshire • Community Regular Hero: Glyn Hassell at The Dog & Parrot, Nottingham Presenting trophies to the winners, Matthew Clark Trade Marketing Director John Steele said:
Heather Porter-Brandwood, licensee of The Bellflower, said: “It was amazing to be shortlisted for this award, to win it is unbelievable! We’ve always believed that if you’re in a position, as we are, where you can help people, why wouldn’t you help? That’s why we’ve supported such a lot of local charities and good causes over the years, and will continue to do so.”
“We are delighted to recognise the incredible community and charity support provided by our winners, by naming them as our overall Community Pub Heroes. Congratulations to all three pubs for this well-deserved recognition.” bAid co-founder Des O’Flanagan added: “We received 200 entries for our awards, so reaching the final 15 was an achievement in itself and going on to take one of the top awards is a triumph! We’re delighted with the recognition the Awards give to all our finalists and winners, who are truly a force for good in their communities.” The Rt Hon Alun Cairns MP, Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, said: “We were delighted to receive 70 nominations from MPs, which shows how pubs are valued as hubs of charity and community support in constituencies across the country. Congratulations to all three Community Pub Heroes.”
Beth Robinson, licensee of The Beeswing Inn, said: “We’re ecstatic about this win! Today has been a brilliant day, as on our way to this presentation we learned that building is going to start on a new hospice suite at Northallerton Friarage Hospital, which we are funding. This has been our goal ever since my dad passed away at the Friarage four years ago and it’s going to make such a difference, enabling families to stay with their loved ones at the end.” Kathryn Boam, licensee of The Dog & Parrot, said: “Glyn has helped us in so many ways; he arranges our charity events, manages our social media and has raised the profile of the pub. With his help, we’ve raised £45,000 for charity, which is huge for a small pub like ours. We’ve just completed our third annual ‘March for March’ 10-mile walk in aid of Combat Stress, meaning we’ve now raised £7,000 for this charity, which supports veterans’ mental health.”
Alliance Online Reviews the Latest Buffet Trends and Products As temperatures start to rise and winter becomes a distant memory, the UK hospitality and tourism sectors begin to look to the beginning of the late spring and summer seasons. With one of the largest up and coming trends of 2023 being buffet style dining Alliance Online talk through the newest products to help you take advantage of this theme.
DAPPER DISPLAYS Buffets areas are a staple of most hotels, especially ones which offer breakfast and lunch options. With refined options for crockery, cutlery and glassware it seems only right to match them with an equally premium food display area. So, if you’re looking to add a touch of sophistication to your display offering we firstly recommend items from Craster’s new range of Fare Display Trolleys. The system is fully modular meaning it can be tailored to your particular taste and layout along with various shelves, pots and rails allowing you to build exactly what you need.
If you are already happy with your buffet area but want some new ways of displaying the food itself, then Craster have you covered on that front too by way of their Tilt Buffet range. The selection comprises of multi-level stainless-steel riser frames and matching presentation plinths and bowls. The plinths can be made of either walnut, white marble or grey marble whilst the bowls come in brass, grey ceramic and white ceramic giving your displays a stylish and contemporary aesthetic.
VINTAGE IS VOGUE The next buffet trend hitting the industry is vintage serveware and pieces which evoke feelings of retro and rustic vibes. One great range which perfectly encapsulated this antique aesthetic is GenWare’s Vintage Steel collection. The selection of products include classic black with golden handle mini serving frying pans, saucepans, and oval dishes along with copper serving cups and ramekins and finished with
accenting industrial steel pieces too.
MELAMINE IS GOING MAINSTREAM Finally, we come to our last trend which is the inclusion and rise in popularity in melamine buffet solutions. The durability and versality makes it perfect for catering serveware but the finish ensures that the material doesn’t look plastic. A prime example of a sleek and modern use of melamine is the Hoxton range from Dalebrook with its matte finish and wide variety of dishes and platters making it perfect for any hotel or restaurant buffet area. For more information on any of the ranges included or other options available for buffet solutions contact Alliance Online on 01270 252333 or email us on hello@allianceonline.co.uk. See the advert on page 8 for further details.
