Battle over silent majority as resident groups slam ‘pro-booze’ campaign

Silent majority: Revellers enjoy a drink at the Ridley Road Market Bar

Residents groups backing Hackney Council’s proposed licensing policy have lashed out a campaign they claim is being pushed by a “pro-booze lobby”.

Associations in Shoreditch and Dalston say that the We Love Hackney campaign, launched by a group of hospitality heavyweights, does not represent the views of the “silent majority.”

But the bar-owners opposing the licensing proposals – which would see no new licenses being granted to bars and nightclubs past 12am – insist that scores of Hackney residents are behind them.

Many Twitter users have tweeted support for the We Love Hackney campaign using the hashtag #notconsideredappropriate in reference to the wording used to describe nightclubs in the council’s draft policy.

Rachel Munro-Peebles from the Shoreditch Community Association (SCA), a group that “protects and promotes the common interests of those living and working in Shoreditch”, called the campaign “misleading scaremongering”.

She said: “In our view the new policy seeks a minor, sensible policy shift on new late-night license approvals from ‘Okay, unless it’s not’ to ‘not Okay, unless it is’.

Another member of the SCA, singer/song-writer from band The The Matt Johnson, who comes from a well known family of East End publicans, said something had to be done to stop “Shoreditch turning into Magaluf” and the council’s proposals are merely about “redressing the balance”.

“It’s no surprise to learn that those squealing the loudest over these very modest proposals are those with their snouts most deeply embedded into the trough of the night time economy,” he said.

The The singer Matt Johnson with local artist Zeke Manyika

“In fact, the We Love Hackney campaign would be better titled the We Love Making Money Out of Hackney campaign as it is about protecting the profits of this well-connected minority against the interests of the silent majority – the long suffering residents of Shoreditch and Dalston.”

Johnny Vercourtre, owner of Time for Tea and once-dubbed King of Shoreditch said he was being forced out of the area because of the incessant noise. “It’s got to the point that its really depressing,” he said.

“[The bar owners] just want to carry on expanding their empire. Why should the people who have made all this money for so long hold all the power?”

Meanwhile a “myth-busting” post on the blog of Dalston residents’ group the Rio Cross Residents Association argues that fears that late licenses will be stopped are unfounded and that the night-time economy’s contribution to the borough is overstated.

Responding to the criticism, the We Love Hackney campaign insisted that the borough’s “silent majority” is against the proposals.

A spokesperson said: “We are a grassroots campaign bringing together the silent majority of Hackney residents who don’t want to go back to 1980s opening hours. We want Hackney Council to properly manage the night time economy, rather than shut it down.

“The diverse, younger, creative people who love Hackney’s nightlife and creative industries are, traditionally, much less likely to engage with the council or make their voice heard. Our campaign is changing this, and is growing every day.”

The consultation on Hackney Council’s licensing policy ends on 14 August.