The Licensing Committee of Hackney Council met on Tuesday 12 November 2024. Included in the published reports pack that was provided to attendees before the meeting were agenda items for discussion about the Late Night Levy and the Council's approach to gambling.

Late Night Levy

A report on the Late Night Levy for Quarter 3 of year 7 (1 May to 31 July 2024) was included in the reports pack.

The report says that income for Quarter 3 was £86,874. It says this brought the year to date total to £374,111.

It says that 201 nightlife and security staff received training during the quarter, compared to 323 in the previous quarter.

The report says that there was an increase in noise issues during the reporting period. It says 185 noise alerts were sent out over the three months, compared to 106 in the previous quarter. It says:

This is the area that most businesses are very concerned about and the upcoming night time strategy will be looking at how we can better balance the needs of businesses and residents.

The report says that there are currently 44 accredited venues signed up to the Hackney Nights portal and accreditation scheme.

Gambling

Councillors were provided with a report on the Gambling Act 2005 and a proposed Statement of Principles for Gambling.

The report explained that:

Under section 166(1) of the Act, a Licensing Authority can make a resolution not to issue casino licences for a period up to 3 years. This Council has previously made such a resolution which was subsequently reaffirmed since the Act commenced in 2007. Therefore, a decision on whether or not to reaffirm this resolution will be required.

The report included the findings from a public consultation on the new Statement of Principles. The consultation ran from 28 May until 4 September 2024. The report says that 19 responses were received.

The report says that the consultation responses could be categorised into five key themes:

• Concerns about gambling premises and their effects
• Call for limiting the numbers of gambling premises
• Concerns about safety and anti-social behaviour
• Suggestions for policy and regulation
• Scepticism about consultation and decision making

Councillors were asked to note the report and to provide an opinion on whether to recommend to Council that the ‘no casino’ resolution remain for a further three years.