London mayor divulges on plans for a Night Time Commission
In late 2015, whispers began circulating regarding the possibility of a London nightlife mayor being installed in an effort to protect the city’s prized music venues. Since 2007, London has lost a whopping 35% of its grassroots music venues.
Now, London mayor Boris Johnson has revealed his agenda for a Night Time Commission, which will partake in a six-month analysis of ways in which it can better “protect and manage the nighttime economy.” According to a 2015 report backed by the Night Time Industries Association, 1.3 million people work during night hours — an economy that is worth £66 billion each year.
While Johnson is supportive of the notion, he also feels that a resurgence of the city’s nighttime economy will be difficult to achieve: “It is brilliantly successful, but nighttime activities can be seen as causes of noise and nuisance, whilst businesses complain that rising property values, the need for housing, licensing requirements and other red tape are damaging their operations, even leading to closures. If we are to compete against other world cities is vital that we develop policies to reconcile the competing needs and concerns.”
With new legislation that was just put into place, it is hopeful that live music venues will stand a better chance against housing efforts come April, when the law will go into effect.
Via: Resident Advisor
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Categories: Music