[title]
Yes, things aren’t looking good for pubs at the moment. With more noise complaints than ever, beloved local venues are frequently finding themselves at the mercy of councils’ licence hearings – just last week a great pub in Clerkenwell, the Sekforde, called on Londoners to help keep it open after noise complaints.
But it’s not all bad news. Camden Council is gearing up to relax licensing laws so pubs in Camden and Covent Garden can serve alcohol later. Now that’s what we like to hear.
The council wants to scrap its Cumulative Impact Zones policy in Camden Town and Covent Garden – a guideline designed to stop too many venues clustering in one area. The changes would also allow bars and pubs to stay open for at least half an hour longer, with the council saying it was essential to help the night-time economy.
However, residents aren’t happy about the proposed changes. In a meeting to discuss the plans, David Kaner, chair of the Covent Garden Community Association, said: ‘It will entrench the alcohol-led nature of the night-time economy in Camden Town. It will not increase diversity, which was the whole point. The removal of framework hours will simply harm residents and will do nothing to increase the mix of businesses.’
But Sophie Asquith from the Music Venue Trust defended the proposal. She said: ‘Camden is world renowned for its creative and cultural impact. However, the climate has become increasingly challenging. Not being able to operate to extended or later hours means losing valuable income by being limited in the scope of their programming.’
She added: ‘We’re delighted that Camden Council has recognised the importance of grassroots music venues and voted to create a less restrictive policy, recognising safe, inclusive businesses and the potential for strong creative growth.’
It’s not guaranteed to happen yet though – the policy will be subject to a public consultation. We’ll update you when we know more information.
More nightlife in trouble
London’s independent venues need our support more than ever. Just last week east London’s Moth Club was threatened by another new housing development. Luckily, UK venues could soon benefit from the new levy on stadiums and arenas. Here’s how that will work.
Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.