Hackney traders selling booze after midnight could be charged from November
Shoreditch has one of the most vibrant night-time economies in London. Picture: Peter Sigrist (flickr.com/photos/psigrist) - Credit: Archant
A controversial late-night levy for traders selling booze after midnight is set to be voted on tomorrow night by Hackney councillors.
The charge would apply to all 399 pubs, clubs, bars, supermarkets and off-licences selling alcohol between 12am and 6am.
If agreed, it would come into action on November 1. The town hall licensing committee last month recommended no exemptions or reductions be offered.
The fee would go mostly towards policing the areas, and pay for security and cleaning in the early hours. The Mayor of London’s Office for Policing and Crime (Mopac) will get 70 per cent of the money.
Hackney police estimate the cost of policing the night-time economy is £1.4 million a year, of which £890,000 funds the dedicated Night-Time-Economy teams.
The amount a business would pay depends on the rateable value of the premises, and ranges from £299 to £4,400.
