Conservatives announce crackdown on councils restricting pub, club and music venue openings

A crackdown on councils restricting the opening of pubs, clubs and music venues would be introduced under the Conservatives.

The party said it would launch a comprehensive review of licensing laws, planning rules and other “red tape” that they say is unnecessarily holding back the nighttime economy.

It will focus on local authorities which put “disproportionate conditions and restrictions on licences, and would aim to streamline regulatory regimes to make things simpler for businesses”, a Tory spokesman said.

It comes as London’s nighttime economy is “experiencing closures and revenue losses at an alarming rate”, according to the Night Time Industries Association.

Between March 2020 and December 2023, a total of 3,011 night economy businesses closed in the capital and its surrounding boroughs, data shows.

London Minister Greg Hands said: “We Conservatives get it. We know how important the hospitality sector is not just to create good jobs and boost the economy, but also to peoples’ precious leisure time.

“Labour have failed the nighttime economy in London - the Conservatives will take the bold action required to get it back on its feet.”

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has promised a London Nightlife Fund to support businesses.

“Our night time businesses are under threat due to the ongoing impact of the pandemic, rising rents and business rates, staffing shortages due to Brexit, and the Government’s cost-of-living and cost-of-doing-business crisis,” he said after winning a third term leading City Hall.

“My commitment to create a new London Nightlife Fund and convene a London Nightlife Taskforce is targeted specifically to address the scale of the unique challenges night time businesses face.”