Locals newspaper editors across the country have united in a warning regarding how the Governments plans on kickstarting a revival in night-time establishments after a decline
Communities face being kept in the dark about plans for new nightclubs near their home and pubs opening round-the-clock under plans unveiled by Government.
Local newspaper editors have united to warn that Government plans to kickstart night-time economies will cost local people a decades old right to object to plans for their neighbourhoods.
The Government’s ‘bonfire of red-tape’ announced last week is designed to kickstart a revival of night-time establishments after years of decline, accelerated by changing habits during the Covid pandemic.
Among the plans being proposed by business secretary Peter Kyle is axing rules which mean new licensed venues need to advertise their plans in advance council meetings which decide them. Changes they plan to make to things like opening hours also have to be advertised in advance.
Editors across the UK have today written to their readers warning the planned changes will put some newspapers at risk – and also result in local communities being kept in the dark.
An advertising campaign is also being launched today, warning communities that shops could sell booze later without you knowing, or a nightclub opened without the chance for people to have their say.
James Mitchinson, editor of The Yorkshire Post said: “We are at a moment where those in power should be healing their relationship with a let-down public, increasing transparency and putting honesty in local communities on the front foot.
“This does not do that. This bill, partly entitled ‘Community Empowerment’, is tantamount to a secrecy bill in planning terms, and could not be less empowering for local people.”
Joe Walker, the editor of the Kentish Gazette in Canterbury, Kent – one of the oldest surviving newspapers in the UK – said: “We all want pubs to thrive, but not by keeping communities in the dark about what’s happening on their doorstep.
“For more than 300 years, our readers have relied on our papers to keep them informed – not a section buried deep on a council website.
“The reality of this proposal is that people could wake up to a new nightclub next door, or a bar granted a 2am licence, without ever having had the chance to have their say.
“Any suggestion pubs are struggling because they have to tell the public their plans is nonsense, and it distracts from the real issues the government should be tackling.”
Sarah Lester, editor of the Manchester Evening News, said: “The government’s Licensing Taskforce, which has made the recommendation to remove alcohol licensing notices from local papers, was overwhelmingly made up of representatives from the hospitality and night-time industries.
“It is no wonder then that this oversight has happened. Local papers reach our communities in ways that have been underestimated.”
Owen Meredith, chief executive of the News Media Association, which fights for news publications in the UK, said: “Removing licensing notices from local newspapers doesn’t just hurt publishers – it shuts local people out of decisions that affect their daily lives.
“These notices give residents the chance to have their say on new venues opening, changes to licensing hours, or proposed developments that may impact local amenities. Taking that away strips power from communities by shrouding them in secrecy, quietly eroding accountability in local decision-making.”
The charity Alcohol Change UK has warned that the plans, in their current form, will result in more victims of crime, more anti-social behaviour and more people coming into harm as a result of alcohol.
Launching the four-week consultation, business and trade secretary Peter Kyle said: “As part of our Plan for Change, this review will help us cut through the red tape that has held back our brilliant hospitality sector, giving them the freedom to flourish while keeping communities safe. That is the balance we’re trying to strike. We’re determined to back small businesses and bring the buzz back to our high streets.”
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.
#Locals #face #dark #plans #nightclubs #roundtheclock #pubs
