Late night restrictions on premises via early morning restriction orders (EMROs) and late-night levies (LNLs) present a “significant threat to business development in this sector”, Poppleston Allen partner Clare Eames told the MA300 conference in London.
She said there is currently an “appetite” among licensing authorities for the measures.
Eames said LNLs are creating a “confusing landscape” and added: “At the end of the day it’s fundamentally about money.”
She also detailed the unfair situation in Newcastle, which is the only city to have introduced a LNL, revealing that hotels are exempt from paying the fee. “Drinks are drinks wherever they are sold. If you are going to introduce a levy everyone should pay it,” Eames said.
She told the audience about the example of Milton Keynes, where the local authority rejected the levy.
“Even though the votes were close, councillors were worried about investment coming in,” she said.
Moving on to the much-objected against EMROs, she said the landscape is changing daily.
