The Hackney Council Licensing Committee is scheduled to meet on 21 May 2025 to discuss the Late Night Levy, and to establish the sub-committees for the next municipal year. The meeting will also cover the appointment of the chair and vice-chair, and the terms of reference for the Licensing Committee and sub-committees.

Late Night Levy

The committee is scheduled to receive two reports on the Late Night Levy (LNL).

Year 8, Q1 Update

The first report provides an update on LNL activities during the first quarter of Year 8, from 1 November 2024 to 31 January 2025. According to the report:

Total receipts in Year 8 Q1 amounted to £81,933, bringing the YTD amount to £447,947.

The report also covers training and awareness initiatives, with 212 nightlife and security staff trained during the quarter. Hackney Council has been offering training to night time spaces to improve their responses to issues.

The report also mentions that Hackney Nights collaborated with the Domestic Abuse Intervention Service in relation to Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) to conduct joint visits to venues across the borough.

Annual Financial Report 2024/2025

The second report provides an annual financial overview of the LNL for the 2024/2025 period. According to the report, total receipts in 2024/2025 amounted to £320,356, compared to £479,395 in 2023/2024, and there is a balance carried over from 2023/2024 of £111,487. The report lists the following expenditures:

• Training and Event Costs: £11,250.00
• Design, Website and Printing Costs: £943.00
• Salaries, Recruitment, Equipment and Administration: £249,596.00
• Hackney Nights + Strategy Work: £5,000.00
• Medical Assistance Program - First Responders: £15,663.00
• Policing - Met Police: £181,000.00

The report also forecasts a budget for 2025/2026, including £250,00.00 for police, £5,000.00 for training and event costs, and £10,000.00 for design, advertising, website and printing costs.

The Late Night Levy was introduced in Hackney on 1 November 2017, and applies between the hours of 00:01 and 06:00.¹

Establishment of Licensing Sub-Committees

The committee is scheduled to consider a report regarding the establishment of its sub-committees for the municipal year 2025/2026. The report recommends the approval of five sub-committees (A-E), each comprising three members. Membership of the Sub-Committees will be drawn from the wider membership of the Licensing Committee depending upon the availability of members.

According to the report:

Licensing Sub-Committees have responsibility for all matters relating to the discharge by the licensing authority of its licensing and related functions under the Licensing Act 2003 s4(1), with a view to promoting the four licensing objectives:

● The prevention of crime & disorder ● Public safety ● The prevention of public nuisance ● The protection of children from harm

The sub-committees' functions are also governed by the Gambling Act 2005, Schedule 3 Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act and Part II of the London Local Authorities Act 1991.

The report notes that remote hearings may be held, in accordance with the High Court case of Walk Safe Security Services Ltd v London Borough of Lewisham [2024] EWHC 1787 (Admin).