Nottingham’s Late-Night Levy on the verge of being scrapped

Nottingham’s Late-Night Levy is likely to be scrapped following a Full Council meeting next month.

The levy, which requires businesses that sell alcohol after 12pm to make an annual payment to the local authority, was introduced in 2014 to cover the costs of policing the city centre in the early hours.

The amount each business is required to pay is determined by the size of its premises, with rates ranging from £299 a year for smaller businesses to £4440 at the top end.

Despite claims that smaller companies operating outside the city centre – which account for most of the businesses obliged to cough up – have been unfairly affected, Nottinghamshire Police have warned against ditching the levy, arguing that its removal would compromise the ability to police the night-time economy.

However, following a consultation, Nottingham City Council has decided that scrapping the levy would “not significantly affect” policing in the city centre.

The measure could be binned as soon as October.

A City Council spokesperson said: “The Late-Night Levy scheme has not been reviewed since it was first established in 2014 so it was considered timely to see if it was still fit for purpose. A formal consultation has been held and responses have been received from businesses as well as the Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner. The Licensing Committee considered the report and the consultation responses and were content to move this on to Full Council next month for a final decision.

“The committee recognised that it would be a loss of a relatively small amount of income to the Police, which should not significantly affect their ability to police the night-time economy. The committee noted that most businesses paying the levy are outside the city centre and don’t contribute to the problems in the night-time economy in that location.

“The BID will continue with their work on community safety in the city centre. On balance, the committee recognised that it was appropriate to review the levy and ease the burden on businesses which are still experiencing a challenging trading environment.”