Published
Wed, Jul 29, 2015, 17:15
- Councillor Emma Plouviez says the number of late-night venues in Dalston and Shoreditch is reaching "saturation point."
Hackney council's Emma Plouviez has issued a public statement regarding the council's draft licensing policy for 2016.
As The Quietus note, Plouviez, Hackney's licensing chairperson, has responded to recent criticism of the council's proposed changes in a post titled "Hackney will not be closing at midnight." She says Dalston and Shoreditch are reaching "saturation point," adding: "In our view these areas are losing the balance between the rights of residents and the rights of businesses. It's the Council's job to try and strike this fair balance around quality of life, and this is why we are proposing changes to the Licensing Policy."
Plouviez adds: "It's true that the night-time economy creates jobs and brings visitors and money to the borough, which is great, but more and more residents who live in areas such as Dalston and Shoreditch are having to contend with people peeing in their gardens, shouting outside their windows at 4 AM and a host of other antisocial behaviour. Alcohol-related ambulance calls are also on the increase during the evening in these areas, as is the cost to the taxpayer of having to clear up the ever growing piles of litter every weekend." You can read the full statement here.
Under the council's proposed plan, a "borough-wide hours" policy puts all license applications beyond midnight under extra scrutiny. The Special Policy Areas (SPAs) in Dalston and Shoreditch will continue, making it almost impossible to get new late licenses in those areas. The consultation runs until August 14th. Local residents and businesses can submit their thoughts here. A website called We Love Hackney has also been set up to "help save Hackney's nightlife"—check it out here.