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Housing Seminar: Partnerships with the Public Sector – Avoiding the pitfalls
Thu 31 May 2012
Minerva House, 5 Montague Close, London, SE1 9BB
Police force supports late night licence charge
Thu 02 Feb 2012
Sussex Police has supported proposals to introduce a charge for licensed premises that want to keep trading during the early hours.
The late-night levy has been proposed by the Home Office so pubs, clubs and bars that are open at this time contribute to the cost of policing, in order to ease the burden on the public purse.
Speaking to the Argus, Jean Irving, head of licensing at Sussex Police, said taxpayers in the region should not have to pay extra to "clear up the streets of Brighton caused by a late-night economy".
She suggested the levy should only apply to those premises that are open very late, such as after 02:00 or 03:00.
However, the plan has been opposed by the Brighton and Hove Licensees Association, which said the "last thing" struggling pubs need right now is to "have another tax imposed on them".
Spokesman Nick Griffin said the group will lobby the council not to put a late-night levy in place.
Robert Botkai, a partner at Winckworth Sherwood Solicitors, commented: "The government is currently consulting on the proposals for a late night levy. See our Briefing note to be published shortly."
