Cheltenham council to abandon Late Night Levy
Posted in Licensing | February 28, 2017 | by Dadds LLP Solicitors
Cheltenham Borough Council has decided to abolish its Late Night Levy in favour of the existing Business Improvement District (BID), in a move which is the first of its kind.
The levy was first introduced in April 2014 for businesses that supplied alcohol between midnight and 6am, who were charged an annual fee of between £229 and £4,400.
The decision follows a consultation launched by the council levy last September. In its consultation, the council said it had a responsibility to ensure businesses are not unduly burdened by two levies. ‘The significant majority of licensed premises paying the levy are also subject to the BID levy which means they are disproportionately affected,’ it said. ‘The council therefore needs to take a view on this particularly in light of its corporate priorities to sustain and grow Cheltenham’s economic and cultural vitality.’
The levy is due to be removed from 1 April and the Association of Multiple Licensed Retailers (ALMR) has welcomed the move. Chief executive of the ALMR Kate Nicholls said:
‘Late night levies are indiscriminate and heap financial pressure onto venues that are already contributing financially to the success of their areas. The levy is blunt tool that penalises hardworking businesses, threatens stability and investment and is unlikely to effectively tackle any issues that a council may have. It is very encouraging to see the council sees sense and abandons a measure that is potentially very harmful to local businesses.’
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