The proposal to remove the Late Night Levy was agreed by Newcastle City Council on October 7. The services that it funded – like extra policing and street marshals – will continue but now the council will be picking up most of the bill. I contacted all of the councillors before the meeting asking them to think about the people of our city before they made a decision: “Dear councillors As a former city centre councillor I know first-hand how many problems can be caused by the alcohol consumption linked to the late night economy. Fights, attacks, shouting; vomit and urine in doorways and on pavements. It’s awful for residents and for people visiting and working in late night venues. And wading through the mess of the night before is no fun for the people coming to work in the city the next morning. The services paid for by the late night levy go some way to reducing the impact and are greatly valued. That’s why, as soon as the review of the late night levy was announced, I contacted the leaders of all four parties then represented on the council and asked them to commit to a full consultation. Councillor Mitchell of the Newcastle Independents was the only one who responded. When the report on the removal of the levy went to Licensing Committee, I tried again but nobody responded. Now the proposal is coming to you. Please think about the people of this city when you consider it: 1. They have not been properly consulted (The Let’s Talk consultation was not publicised and the results have not been published. The statutory consultation, while I’m sure that it was advertised according to the law, was not publicised.) 2. There is no source given for the proposed new fund to replace the levy. If businesses aren’t paying then isn’t the cost going to fall on the public with other services cut to pay for it? The hospitality sector has NE1 and paid lobbyists to speak up for it. I hope that some of you will speak up for the people. Thanks Jane” The Students’ Unions at Northumbria and Newcastle Universities and Newcastle College also issued a statement setting out the problems they faced and opposing the removal of the levy. Councillor Colin Ferguson (Lib Dem) Leader of the Council and Councillor Steven Rutherford (Reform), Leader of the Opposition both responded. They both assured me that they were committed to safety but they didn’t address my concerns about the failure to consult the public or the financial impact. Councillor Nick Hartley, the Leader of the Greens, didn’t respond but one of the Monument councillors, they are all Green, contacted me to explain how committed they were to safety in the city centre. I offered to include a statement on this page but I haven’t heard back so I’ve included a link to the Facebook post from Coun Jamie Anderson, Green Councillor and Vice-Chair of the Licensing Committee. Response from Colin Ferguson Email from NE1 committting to ‘up to £100000’ of the £215000 cost Response from Steven Rutherford Facebook post from Jamie Anderson Update September 2026 The Late Night Levy funds safety measures such as street marshals and CCTV. It’s paid by businesses that sell alcohol between midnight and 6am so they contribute to the cost of dealing with the impact of late night alcohol consumption. Karen Kilgour, who was Leader of the Council at the time, announced in April that the levy was under review. I wrote to the Leaders of the Lib Dems, Greens, Labour and the Newcastle Independents asking them to commit to consulting residents*. Tracey Mitchell, the Leader of the Newcastle Independents, was the only one who responded. A report recommending the removal of the Late Night Levy went to Licensing Committee in August. I contacted all of the members of Licensing Committee to raise concerns about the report and asking them to make sure they had all of the facts before making a decision: “Dear councillors I am very concerned about omissions in the report being presented to your committee today and I hope that you will make sure that you have all of the facts before you make your decision. 1. The report does not include the views of the residents living near late night premises or their customers. The only public consultation I can find is one on Let’s Talk that ended on July 17 but I can’t find any publicity for it and there are no results given either on the Let’s Talk site or in the report. I hope that as elected representatives of the people of Newcastle you will share my view that you should know what the people think before you take a decision. 2. The report makes claims about the changing night-time economy but does not provide detailed evidence for the claims: 4.5: The nighttime economy has changed since 2013. The evidence described fewer nightclubs, changes in drinking and trading patterns, growth in food-led and experience-led venues, a wider geographical spread of activity and increased financial pressures on hospitality businesses. In my experience there has been a growth in late night alcohol-led venues in the city centre in recent years, despite the special policies in the CIA and SSA. For example, the “Cup and Craic” on Collingwood Street and the “Madhouse” on Dean Street both replaced restaurants, and conditions on Mojo at The Gate have been progressively relaxed. I hope that the committee will look in detail at how the night-time economy actually operates, particularly late at night. I think that you would find a site visit helpful in assessing the extent to which late night venues are contributing to the challenges outlined in the report. 3. Claims about the impact of the levy on the nighttime economy are made but not evidenced or quantified. There is also a difference between maximising profitability and viability and that should have been considered: 5.1 The financial pressures on nighttime economy businesses are well documented and recognised in the National Licensing Policy Framework for the hospitality and leisure sectors. The Framework encourages local authorities to promote and support a licensing system that is flexible and responsive and use it as a tool for enabling innovation, growth and investment. The late-night levy costs are considered to be a barrier to incoming or expanding businesses. 5.2 The option to remove the late-night levy annual payments will reduce the financial burden on licensed trade businesses. The hospitality sector has come under severe pressure because of the cost-of-living crisis and increased business costs making trading conditions difficult. It will assist in the viability of existing businesses but also those considering opening in the city which may by virtue of their planned opening hours be liable for the late-night levy fee. This would support revitalising the economy within this business sector. The maximum levy is £4400 with a 30% discount for members of the best practice scheme. This works out at £3080 or just under £60 per week. It is unlikely that a business where £60 a week can make a difference to viability is actually sustainable even if the levy were removed. While it’s perfectly reasonable for businesses to want to maximise their profitability and to lobby hard to reduce any costs that they can, an objective assessment should investigate their evidence not simply accept it at face value. 4. The option proposed if the levy is removed is to establish an alternative fund but the report gives no information about where the money will come from: 4.6 The Council works in partnership with a range of stakeholders to strengthen and build the city’s economy for the businesses of the city, and to make Newcastle a better, cleaner, safer and more welcoming place. Should the decision be taken to revoke Newcastle’s late night levy scheme, it is proposed that NE1 who are Newcastle’s business improvement district, will establish a Governance Board of stakeholder representatives of the City, and administer a fund specifically foractivities relating to safety in the night time economy. The scale of the fund is expected to be similar to that of the late night levy income and will be governed to support night time initiatives above statutory responsibilities of the various agencies. Stakeholder representatives will include the Council, Northumbria Police, PCC, licensees and businesses. How can the committee be confident that this fund is a viable option if it doesn’t know where the money is coming from? Or that the fund will not put an extra financial burden on the city’s residents? Thank you for taking the time to read this email. Jane “ None of the councillors on the committee – which has representatives from the Lib Dems, the Greens and Reform – responded to me and the committee agreed to remove the levy. There is still no report on the consultation that ended in July. The council has just carried out a poll on the proposal but I can’t see any evidence that it was publicised. I’m sure the people who will benefit made sure they responded. The hospitality industry has NE1 and The Core, on its side – they’ve boasted about how hard they lobbied for this change. That’s how business works. It’s just a shame that nobody is willing to speak up for the people of the city. Full Council will make the final decision in October. I will contact all councillors in advance but, sadly, I don’t think they’re interested. *Letter to Group Leaders April 2026 To: Councillors Colin Ferguson, Nick Hartley, Karen Kilgour and Tracey Mitchell Dear Councillors As one of the representatives for Monument Ward, I have supported residents with multiple issues associated with licensed premises during my time as a councillor. Maintaining a fair balance between the interests of residents and licensed premises is difficult but vital if the city is to thrive as a place to live as well as a place to visit. The late night levy, which funds safety measures such as street marshals and CCTV, is one of the ways in which that balance is maintained. It means that businesses selling alcohol between midnight and 6am contribute to the cost of dealing with the impact of late night alcohol consumption. So I was concerned to read Councillor Kilgour’s comments to the Local Democracy Service about ‘reviewing’ the late night levy (https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/newcastle-late-night-levy-charge-33320250) and to see yesterday’s call by NE1 for the levy to be scrapped together (https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/politicians-urged-prioritise-newcastles-nightlife-33806121) I wrote to residents when Coun Kilgour first announced the review and asked for their views on the levy and licensed premises in general. Residents told me that they enjoyed the hustle and bustle of city life and the opportunities it offers to meet and socialise. They also understood that there would be some level of noise but they had concerns about certain venues, which were ignoring the rules on managing the noise. They were also affected by noise in the middle of the night as people made their way through the city after late night venues closed. They were concerned about the amount of litter in areas with late night bars and takeaways. Fast food containers and leftover food and drinks are a particular problem – and a health issue because they attract vermin. Residents had found vomit and urine in their doorways and on the streets in the mornings and some reported witnessing violence. These issues are all linked to excessive alcohol consumption – which research has shown is a feature of the night life economy in the UK (https://www.n8prp.org.uk/2025/05/23/alcohol-policing-and-nightlife-a-complex-relationship/) Residents valued the safety measures funded by the late night levy and would be sorry to see them go. They also appreciated the late night clean-ups that happen in some parts of the city centre. Everyone understands the pressures that hospitality businesses are under. That doesn’t mean that residents should suffer or that council taxpayers should subsidise them. These businesses have access to solicitors to argue their case on licensing issues and lobbying support from organisations like NE1 and the NE1 Hospitality Group. Residents don’t have any of this. They rely on councillors to stand up for their interests. So I’m asking you as leaders of parties competing for power at the May elections to commit to: consult residents on any changes to the late night levy or other policies that affect licensed premises take residents’ interests into account when making any decision. Please make sure that residents’ voices are heard. Thank you Jane Byrne Monument Councillor 22.04.26 |
