The UK’s eating, drinking and dancing scenes have had a tough few years. Rent increases, high inflation, the nagging effects of the pandemic and, recently, tax hikes have all led to venues struggling to make do. And it isn’t just hospitality that’s flailing – the British high street continues to be blighted by big name closures.
In an announcement on Saturday (June 26), the government said it’s found a solution to both hospitality struggles and empty high streets.
A new plan will see licensing rules transformed and the noise complaints system overhauled so that, theoretically, cafes, bars, music venues and outdoor dining options can thrive.
So, what’s the plan? In short, the government wants to slash red tape and make it cheaper, easier and quicker to open new venues. Part of this will see special ‘hospitality zones’ earmarked for fast-tracked licensing, targeting high streets and town centres with disused shops.
Looser licensing
Pubs, bars, cafes, restaurants, nightclubs and music venues are the sorts of places the government hopes will populate empty shopfronts – but the new licensing proposals don’t stop there. The process for getting a licence for alfresco dining, street parties and festivals – food and community festivals as well as music ones – is also being simplified.
If you think that all sounds a bit like an extended, nationwide version of the Mayor of London’s Summer Streets scheme – where several areas are currently benefitting from expanded outdoor eating and drinking areas in the warmer months – you aren’t wrong. Sadiq Khan was part of a licensing review panel with Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner earlier this year.
Speaking with Time Out, Reeves said: ‘We’ve had a lot of feedback from hospitality, businesses, pubs, restaurants and event organisers saying that the current system is bureaucratic and cumbersome, that it holds back activity and investment and deters people from going out and having a good time.’
Reeves pointed to the pandemic-era loosening of restrictions as a path towards more lenient licensing. ‘During Covid, there was more permission around pavement pints or a table for a cafe on the street. We want to make it easier, less expensive and less bureaucratic for businesses to apply for that sort of thing,’ she said.
Likewise, it’s set to become easier for festivals to get licences, principally because they won’t have to reapply every year. Reeves explained that events can save costs that will ‘go into making the tickets cheaper or bringing in more and better acts’.
Shutting out the noise complaints
Reforming licensing, however, is only half the government’s recent announcement. Also unveiled was a plan to more effectively shield venues from noise complaints – particularly those coming from new developments.
It’s a common tale in nightlife venue closures of recent years. A developer targets a piece of land near a pub, bar, club or live music spot, which no doubt has greater value because it’s so close to a venue. The developer builds a residential property and sells it all off – then those new owners complain about the noise from the nearby venue and shut it down. It’s the kind of threat currently hanging over east London’s MOTH Club and previously faced by pubs the Sekforde and Compton Arms, and brewery Blondies.
New rules are intended to protect established pubs, clubs and music venues from noise complaints by new developments, primarily by shifting responsibility for shutting out the noise. The government plans to make developers responsible for soundproofing buildings built near venues.
‘We’ve had so many music venues close in the last few years, which is a crying shame for new bands and acts.’ said Reeves. ‘We’re really keen to protect those small music venues.’
The plans were welcomed by the Night Time Industries Association, with NTIA CEO Michael Kill saying: ‘For too long, business owners have faced unnecessary red tape and planning uncertainty that stifles innovation and growth. These proposals mark a vital step toward creating a more supportive environment for independent operators, entrepreneurs, and local communities.’
‘These are all practical measures that reflect a growing recognition of the cultural and economic value of nightlife in the UK.’
It’s worth noting that exactly how licensing will be made easier, quicker and cheaper hasn’t yet been confirmed, nor has it been revealed how noise complaints will be handled under the new rules. No specific areas have been earmarked yet for ‘hospitality zones’. All of the above is still subject to a consultation, the results of which won’t be published until later this year.
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