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Newcastle's late night levy, two years on

Newcastle’s late night levy came into force in November 2013. Two years on, Antony Michaelides, owner and managing director of The Assembly Rooms and Bonbar, shares his thoughts on its effectiveness.

Antony said: “We signed up to Best Practice Scheme (BPS) on its introduction but our initial thoughts of the levy were that it was simply an extra tax.

“I agree that late night venues do put a strain on the council’s expenditure and the recent tax cuts understandably mean that it needs to find support from elsewhere. However, collectively the bars in Newcastle pay a lot of rates already – for instance, the Business Improvement District (BID) levy which we pay annually.

“It could therefore be viewed as another back door tax against the businesses in the area, but with Newcastle’s reputation as being one of the UK’s top party destinations, it seemed inevitable.

“I’m all for funds being invested towards the likes of taxi marshalling, CCTV improvements, street pastors and street cleaning which make our city a safer and more appealing place to enjoy nights out.

“We’ve always had a close working relationship with the police throughout our history of owning The Assembly Rooms and our security staff uphold a strict door policy at Bonbar – we’re about quality not quantity which is important for us to be able to offer customers a safe environment and an exclusive experience.

“It’s interesting to see the likes of Liverpool City Council, which is currently consulting on implementing a late night levy, watching Newcastle closely to see how well it has worked here. While we’ve embraced it and will continue to support the council for many years to come, my advice would be that it isn’t necessarily the answer.

“I’m a firm believer that cheap drinks’ promotions aren’t the way to go – they drive everything downward and encourage people to drink in excess. A lot of money could be saved and trouble avoided if this problem is addressed. We’ve got to be seen doing it right.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by The Assembly Rooms .