Shops, doctor’s surgeries and libraries opening one night per week is one suggestion from a new strategy to re-energise the nighttime economy.
Philip Kolvin QC, who is on the advisory board of the Nighttime Industries Association, has set out his 12-point manifersto for the nighttime economy.
As part of this, he suggest there needs to be a “high degree of integration between leisure and other uses”.
He added: “The effective abolition of happy hours has meant that fewer people occupy town and city centres during the crucial “bridging” hours between the end of office hours and the start of night time hours. But not all happy hours are undesirable, and permitting leisure facilities to attract workers based on price will help to create a bridge between day time and night time businesses, retain a diverse customer base in the centre, and reduce pre-loading at home.”
He also exposes examples of poor regulatory practice and stresses it should only be used when partnership measures have been exhausted.
The 12 points of Kolvin’s plan are:
Every town and city shall have a vision of its nighttime economy
Every town and city shall have an identified nightie champion
Every town and city will bring together a partnership of planning and regulatory authroities, operators, entrepreneurs, landowners, residents and users to drive and realise the vision
Every town and city will produce a leisure strategy to attain the vision for its nighttime economy
National and local planning policies shall recognise the value of the nighttime economy and be orientated to promote and protect it
Every town and city will be designed, so far as possible, to enhance the experience of users of the nighttime economy
Nighttime operators will promote and support voluntary local schemes raising standards of operation and protection
National and local licensing policies shall recognise the value of the nighttime economy. Local licensing policies shall aim to promote the vision for the nighttime economy, translate the leisure strategy into policy, and advocate regulation by the least intrusive measure consistent with promotion of the licensing objectives
Regulatory action should not be taken before partnership measures have been exhausted, except in urgent cases. Such action should be based on transparent, consistent and agreed evidential standards
The public and private sector must work together to change the perception of town and city centres so as to build the diversity and spending of nighttime users
Town and city centres must aim to integrate leisure and other uses so as to promote customer cross-over and create bridges between the day and nighttime economy
The industry will participate in a set of qualifications forming a path of career development for all those working in, regulating or otherwise involved in the night time economy
