Plans for a late night levy in Brighton and Hove have been deferred again – this time because the Government is signalling it may make it easier for councils to collect money from venues.
The plans, which it’s estimated could raise £450,000, were first mooted in 2014, but since then they have been put on hold three times while other schemes are explored.
And last week, they were delayed once more as the Home Office is expected to announce measures to simplify the process of introducing it.
But meanwhile, the council is lobbying the Government for a share in local alcohol taxation to pay for policing and targeted services.
And officers are exploring an alternative scheme whereby venues pay a voluntary amount to a Business Improvement District (BID) which would be spent on softer measures such as marketing.
The possibility of changes to implementation was raised in a letter from the Local Government Association (LGA) in response to the council’s request for help lobbying for a share in alcohol taxation.
Cllr Tony Page, the LGA’s licensing champion, said: “The late-night levy has seen some success in a few areas, but there are undoubted challenges to introducing it.
“The Home Office is expected to very shortly announce some measures to simplify the process, in response to campaigning from the LGA, which may or may not make it more suitable for Brighton and Hove.
“Your alternative proposal for reinvesting taxation is one that the LGA supports. We agree that a proportion of revenue raised from alcohol taxation should be granted directly to local councils to invest in preventative measures, which could include approaches to managing the night-time economy that are not already funded through the licensing regime.”
