Changes to Brighton and Hove City Council’s licensing policy to focus on protecting the vulnerable and supporting “good operators” have been approved with cross-party support.
The council’s Licensing Committee approved the new “statement of licensing policy” last month, with the changes ratified by the meeting of the full council last night (Thursday 18 December).
Labour councillor David McGregor, who chairs the Licensing Committee, said that he had visited and listened to the concerns from venues across Brighton and Hove.
Nationally music venues are disappearing, pubs and bars closing at a rate of one a day and there are fewer night clubs, he told councillors.
Councillor McGregor said: “Thankfully, Brighton and Hove is still doing better than many other places.
“Time Out even called us the seventh best nightlife in the world, ahead of Bangkok, Athens and Amsterdam. All I have to say is: ‘Las Vegas, we’re coming for you!’
“But we’re still facing the fact that we’ve lost key parts of our nightlife over the years. Now is the time for us to step in and halt and reverse this trend.”
He said that the message that came from the public, businesses and organisations was that the current policy on restricting new venues in the centre of Brighton was not working.
The new policy has a focus on safety, with all new licence-holders required to have a spiking policy and a focus on keeping people safe. Councillor McGregor said that this would support well-run and safe venues.
A new “good operator” policy was the first of its kind in the country, Councillor McGregor said, which showed trust in venues.
Businesses which had no significant issues for at least five years would be looked on favourably for variations and new applications.
Restaurants would also be able to stay open until 1am, along with grassroots music venues and non-alcohol-focused spaces.
Green councillor Ollie Sykes said that he was initially concerned about the proposed changes but added that the new policy had a nuanced approach.
Councillor Sykes said: “I understand the desire to increase the profile and support the opening up of grassroots music venues.
“What came across in discussion is Councillor McGregor’s passion for this and the work he has put into it so we’re very much in favour of these changes.”
Conservative councillor Ivan Lyons said that the night-time economy needed the council’s help.
Councillor Lyons said: “We need to focus on reversing the decline in pubs, clubs and similar venues while making our city a more vibrant place to go out.
“In our view, measures need to be put in place to address disproportionate restrictions imposed by us as a council on licences.”
The council unanimously backed the new policy.
Simple really. Get the off-licences shut by 11pm and let pubs / clubs with door staff and a clean record stay open as long as they want. It’s a much better way of keeping people safe and keeping the dregs out of town.
Brighton isn’t the night out it use to be due to the current policy.
i have worked in nightclubs and still use the nigh time economy at least three times per week. the vast majority of pubs/clubs/restaurants are run very well. I think anywhere that is open after 11pm should have security the ones that do have very little problems.
By far the biggest issue in our city is late night shops that sell alcohol to anyone even if they have had too much. Alcohol sales in shops should stop at 11pm. It would make our streets much safer. Plus it would help with the amount of litter on our beach in the summer months.
Also more police should be on the beat i often see drug dealing openly done, its impossible to keep them out of venues if the police let open dealing carry on.
I think you make a good point. There’s a level of control when someone is in a pub or club, which you simply don’t have once someone is outside with a bottle.