Bedtime blues: London is UK city with strictest licensing rules ‘killing nightlife’ | London

London has the earliest council-mandated bedtime of any other city in the UK, due to the nightlife district’s policy against opening new bars and restaurants after 11pm.

These strict restrictions on bars and pubs are “killing the nightlife” in the capital, experts said, while other cities including Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds are experiencing an out-of-hours boom because they have more lenient rules.

Councils across the capital have “core time policies” in place. This means that when a new location wants to open, the licensing board is told to refuse to open after a certain time. In Hackney, an east London borough previously known for its lively nightlife, a curfew was set at 11pm on weekdays and midnight on weekends.

A taxi passes a group of people gathered outside a bar in Hackney, London. The curfew is 11pm on weekdays and midnight on weekends. Photo: Jack Taylor/Getty

Westminster Council, which covers Soho and London’s nightlife district the West End, has a key hours policy that rejects applications for new bars and restaurants that open after 11.30pm on weekdays and midnight on weekends.

The City Council has defined key nightlife areas as “Cumulative Impact Zones” (CIZs). This means refusing all licenses for new pubs or pubs unless “exceptional circumstances” are included. London Mayor Sadiq Khan spoke out after a residents’ group recently pledged to oppose any new bars or restaurants opening in Soho.

Pub landlord Peter Connolly is at one of his two pubs, Nortons and The Anchor in Birmingham. Photo: Martin Godwin/The Guardian

Islington City Council, which is home to the O2 Academy, Sadler’s Wells theater and busy Upper Street, is believed to be refusing to issue licenses after 11pm on weekdays and midnight on weekends. Camden, home to a famous market and rock and jazz clubs where figures like Amy Winehouse used to party until the early hours, has a new key hours policy that means licenses will generally be refused after midnight Monday to Thursday, 12.30pm Friday to Saturday and 11pm on Sunday.

The rules in many areas of London are much stricter than in other British cities. Most areas, including Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham, have no blanket restrictions at all. Those that do, including Leeds, have more flexible working hours and are usually licensed until 2am.

Peter Connolly, owner and landlord of Nortons and The Anchor in Digbeth, Birmingham, was granted a license until 5am without opposition from the council. There are no blanket restrictions on licensing citywide. Digbeth, a trendy area known for club nights held in former industrial warehouses, has been named one of the ‘coolest areas in England’ by the Sunday Times.

“Norton’s has space for 500 customers and we have bands running for 12 hours on Saturdays from 2.30pm to 2.30am. We’re open until 4am and it gets louder as the night goes on,” Connolly said. “We have a really good relationship with licensing.”

Connolly said there had been “no issues whatsoever” with noise or crime, which is why councils like Westminster do not allow license delays. He said he normally doesn’t use the 5am permit at his “gorgeous” traditional pub, The Anchor, but will do so during the World Cup. “We’re open until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays and we have people who want to sit outside and have a pint. Both pubs will be open for the World Cup. Norton’s is an Irish pub but we’re showing both England and Scotland matches. We already have some starting at 2am.”

Matt Farrell owns Salt Dog Slims bars in Manchester and Liverpool, which are licensed until 4am and 3am respectively. “Rarely do problems arise when obtaining a license, and in most cases the process is guided by common sense and logical decision-making,” he said. “The strong, independent bar cultures of Liverpool and Manchester are something to celebrate – they give both cities a sense of identity.”

Rupert Power has not received a license extension for his jazz club Jack Solomon in the heart of London’s entertainment district. Photo: Sean Smith/The Guardian

London’s Rupert Power has a later license than many, including Jack Solomons Club’s 1am license before the 11.30pm default time policy was introduced, but has struggled to extend its license to make the most of the West End’s after-theater crowds. “Realistically, if the show ends at 10:30 p.m., you hit the dance floor at midnight and the lights come on at 1 a.m.,” he said. “The license was later refused twice on the grounds that it went beyond core hours and was against cumulative impact. When it was the Scene club in the ’60s, it had a 3am license and many famous bands, including the Rolling Stones, played there. Is it a crime to have fun after midnight?”

People enjoying a night out in Leeds. Licenses are generally granted until 2am. Photo: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty

Some police forces agree to a more lenient approach to licensing. The Metropolitan Police often oppose licensing in London over concerns that more entertainment venues will lead to crime, but PC Ben Reader, from West Midlands Police’s Birmingham central licensing team, disagrees.

“Birmingham has a very active night-time economy with a wide range of pubs, bars and clubs catering to a variety of tastes and communities.

“We will take action to impose restrictions on licenses or apply for reviews where appropriate and necessary, but we will always work with venues to ensure they provide a safe environment for customers and contribute to Birmingham’s thriving night-time economy.”

Digbeth, an industrial area of ​​Birmingham known for its club nights in former warehouses, has been named one of the ‘coolest areas in England’. Photo: Stephen Burke/The Guardian

This autumn, Khan will be given new powers by the government to override local authority decisions in a bid to prevent a steady rise in nightclub and pub closures across London.

Sacha Lord, founder of the Warehouse Project club and former nightlife adviser to Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, said the secret to Manchester’s nightlife boom was its permissive licensing regime.

“It depends on the fact that we know how to have a good time, but it also depends on the approach the council takes in relation to licensing,” he said. “They understand the importance of a thriving night-time economy and try to work with operators to allow the hours they need.

“Other authorities across the UK, such as Westminster, are taking the opposite approach. They seem obsessed with limiting hours, limiting outdoor seating and restricting people’s enjoyment. Their stupid and naive approach is killing nightlife, especially in Soho, which used to be a thriving epicenter of London’s nightlife.”

Initial statement: Regions with core time zones

Westminster (outside CIZ) – 11:30pm Monday to Thursday, midnight Friday to Saturday, 10:30pm Sunday.

Westminster (West End CIZ) – Same opening hours apply but a blanket refusal to obtain new licenses for pubs/bars/fast food/music venues regardless.

Hackney – 11pm Monday to Thursday, midnight Friday to Saturday, 10.30pm Sunday.

Camden – midnight Monday through Thursday, 12:30 a.m. Friday through Saturday, and 11 p.m. Sunday.

Islington – 11pm weekdays, midnight Friday to Saturday.

Wandsworth – midnight weekdays, 2am Friday to Saturday.

Wigan – 1am Sunday-Thursday, 3am Friday-Saturday and public holidays.

Aberdeen city center – 2am weekdays, 3am Friday to Saturday.

Outside Aberdeen city center – midnight.

Highland Council – General walk-in sales at 1am, license sales at 10pm.

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