Published
Tue, Oct 23, 2018, 17:51
- In July, Hackney Council approved a strict licensing policy that forces all new venues to close by 12 AM on weekends.
A group of Hackney residents and businessowners have launched a legal challenge against the local council to have its new strict licensing policy overturned.
We Love Hackney announced the move in an email today, challenging the council's rushed new licensing policy that requires new venues automatically adhere to a strict curfew of 11 PM on weekdays and 12 AM on weekends and expands the Shoreditch Special Policy Area. "Hackney Council didn't undertake any serious 'equalities impact assessment,' which would have looked at the impact on young people and LGBTQ+ and ethnic minority communities," they said in an email to Resident Advisor. "Young people disproportionately use and work in the night time economy, and businesses serving Hackney's minority communities are more likely to be the small, independents being pushed out by Hackney."
In order to achieve their goal, We Love Hackney is getting legal help from Philip Kolvin QC, the lawyer who was a key part in fabric's fight against Islington Council and formerly a member of London's Night Time Commission. They are crowdfunding to raise £53,000 "to cover court costs, legal fees and cost protection."
Support the campaign here.
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