Extra cash from late night levy could fund Hoxton Square ‘safe space’

Hoxton Square. Photograph: Stephen Mckay.

A safe space in Hoxton Square – which could host a taxi service, a police officer, St John’s ambulance station, and even footwear for those who have lost their shoes – is one option councillors are eyeing up for how to spend funds from a controversial late night levy which has ended up with surplus cash after its first year.

The Town Hall received over £400,000 from its charge on venues selling booze through the night last year. Seventy per cent of the scheme’s net revenue is earmarked to be paid across to the police.

However, £332,480 remain in the levy’s coffers after the Met were initially unable to commit dedicated resources funded by the levy during Year 1, according to public documents released by the Town Hall this week.

Cllr Caroline Selman (Lab, Woodberry Down), cabinet member for community safety, policy and the voluntary sector, quizzed police Sgt Guy Hicks on whether such a safe space would be useful to the force.

Sgt Hicks said: “I’m an advocate of having a safe space within a town centre. I know it’s been tried in Camden, and I’m all for in Hoxton Square, for example, some form of structure being put up. In Camden, it was a tent, I think, a temporary structure on certain nights. I’m all for that, if that’s something that you wanted to fund.”

The council report on the levy goes on to state that £170,000 of the levy’s funds will go on hiring an extra sergeant and four constables for the police service early this year.

It is understood the council plan to co-ordinate public safety schemes such as the safe space through creating the role of a Night Time Economy Manager.

The committee also considered whether to test building in compulsory police-designed Welfare and Vulnerability Engagement (WAVE) training into the licences of venues, particularly those with a history of being unsafe.

Though the council strive to include venue owners in how late night levy funding will be spent, the tax remains contentious, with trade association UKHospitality calling out the council for not immediately spending the money on extra police officers as originally planned.

UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “An additional tax on businesses that already contribute financially and are tightly licensed is bad enough.

“Even worse is that Hackney Council is not even using the funds raised in the manner it promised it would. The levy was sold as providing a boost to local policing but the money is sitting idle.

“Hackney Council seems to view hardworking and dynamic late-night businesses that have helped revitalise the area in recent years as nothing more than cash cows. The Council should give a full account of its actions and repeal the levy immediately.”

Cllr Emma Plouviez, chair of the local management board for the late night levy, said: “We’re proud of Hackney’s reputation as a nightlife destination, and the late night levy is helping us ensure that this doesn’t unfairly impact local residents through antisocial behaviour, crime or excessive noise by allowing night time businesses to help with the cost of managing these issues.

“Every single penny received through the levy will be spent on boosting local policing and other measures to help make Hackney’s nightlife safer – starting with a new dedicated sergeant and four offices to patrol nightlife hotspots throughout Hackney at weekends, additional patrols by Council enforcement officers, and engagement with venues to prevent problems arising in the first place.

These are all measures that the Council, the police and venues themselves have agreed together and can commit to on a sustainable basis now that we have a full understanding of the income the levy will generate.”