Bolton: 'Late night levy' plan put to public consultation

If approved the levy will require venues to pay a small charge to sell or supply alcohol between 3am and 6am, with the money used by the police and council to help deal with crime, anti-social behaviour and littering.

Bolton Labour stronger communities spokesperson Cllr Rabiya Jiva said she hoped that people would come forward to make their feelings known and that the authorities would be able to work together with venue owners to improve the borough’s nightlife.

She said: “We take the matter seriously around responsible drinking and protecting the community.

“We are all working with the trade, we need to support the proposals, but this is definitely something we need to work with the trade with to get the best outcome.”

The consultation has been launched by Bolton Council (Image: Newsquest)

She added: “We also need to support the police in their aims, protecting people and making sure all the community in Bolton can enjoy nightlife responsibly.”

As well as policing, the money raised from the levy, which will be set by the government, will also be used to fund other initiatives around the night-time economy.

If approved, it could come into effect at the start of next year. 

The idea of a “late night levy” has been described by the government as “discretionary power enabling licensing authorities in England and Wales to collect a financial contribution from premises that profit from the sale of alcohol late at night (between 3am and 6am) and to put the funds raised towards policing and other costs associated with the management of the night time economy.”

Licensing authorities like the council were given the power to introduce the levy themselves in 2011 after the government introduced the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011.

A previous meeting of the council heard in April, how Greater Manchester Police felt the levy could be essential to supporting their night time operation.

Superintendent Danny O'Neill, of Greater Manchester Police's Bolton division, said: "What we see is a sharp spike in demand from 3am until 6am when we focus on a small amount of premises. 

"We have limited resources to deal with this sharp spike in demand, which places officers and members of the public at an increased risk."

Now that they have launched the consultation, Bolton Council hopes that business owners, both licenced and unlicenced, will come forward and have their say on how the proposals will effect them.

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Members of the public are also being asked about whether some venues and organisations like theatres and hotels should be exempt from the levy.

A spokesperson for the council said: “We encourage residents and businesses to have their say on these proposals by taking part in the consultation.

“All feedback will be taken into account during the decision making process.”

The consultation will be open until Sunday, June 18 this year and can be found on the active consultations section of the council’s website.