Bedtime blues: London ‘killing off nightlife’ as UK city with strictest licensing rules

London has the earliest council-mandated bedtime of any other city in the UK as a result of policies in nightlife districts that oppose any new bar or restaurant opening past 11pm.

These strict restrictions on pubs and bars are “killing off nightlife” in the capital, experts have said, while other cities including Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds are experiencing an after-hours boom because they have more lenient rules.

Councils across the capital have “core hours policies” in place, meaning that when new venues wish to open, the licensing committee is directed to refuse any openings past a certain time. In Hackney – the east London borough previously known for its vibrant nightlife – this curfew is set at 11pm on weeknights and midnight on weekends.

A taxi drives past people gathering outside a bar in Hackney in London. The curfew is set at 11pm on weeknights and midnight on weekends. Photograph: Jack Taylor/Getty

Westminster council, which is in charge of Soho and the West End, London’s nightlife district, has a core hours policy meaning applications for new bars and restaurants opening past 11.30pm on weeknights and midnight on weekends are refused.

The council has defined its main nightlife district as what it calls a “cumulative impact zone” (CIZ), which means it will refuse all licences for any new bar or pub unless there are “exceptional circumstances involved”. Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, recently spoke out after a residents’ group vowed to oppose any new bars or restaurants opening in Soho.

In Islington, home to the O2 Academy, Sadler’s Wells theatre and bustling Upper Street, the council has a presumption to refuse licences past 11pm on weekdays and midnight at weekends. Camden, with its famous market and rock and jazz clubs where figures such as Amy Winehouse used to party until the early hours, has a new core hours policy imposed which means licences will generally be refused after midnight Monday to Thursday, 12.30 Friday to Saturday and 11pm on Sunday.

Amy Winehouse on a night out in Camden in 2007, when the London borough was renowned for its nightlife. Photograph: Martin Godwin/The Guardian

Rules in many areas of London are much stricter than any other UK city. Most, including Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham, do not have any blanket restrictions at all. The ones that do, including Leeds, have more flexible hours, with licences generally granted up until 2am.

Peter Connolly, the owner-landlord of Nortons and The Anchor in Digbeth, Birmingham, was granted licences up to 5am with no pushback from the council. The city as a whole has no blanket restrictions on licences. Digbeth, a trendy ex-industrial neighbourhood known for club nights in former warehouses, has been named one of the “coolest neighbourhoods in Britain” by the Sunday Times.

“Norton’s has space for 500 customers, we have bands on for 12 hours on Saturday from 2.30pm till 2.30am. We are open till 4am, it gets bigger and louder as the night goes on,” Connolly said. “We have a really good relationship with licensing.”

Connolly said he had “not had any problems” with regard to noise or crime, which is the reason councils such as Westminster do not allow late licences. He does not generally use the 5am licence for his “gorgeous” traditional pub, The Anchor, but says he will do during the World Cup. “We are open till 2am on a Friday and Saturday and there are people who are out, who want to sit and drink a pint. Both pubs will be open for the World Cup. Norton’s is an Irish pub but we are showing all the English and Scotland games. We’ve had one already that had a 2am start.”

Matt Farrell owns the Salt Dog Slims bars in Manchester and Liverpool, which have licences until 4am and 3am respectively. “We rarely encounter any issues when obtaining a licence, and, for the most part, the process is guided by common sense and logical decision-making,” he said. “Liverpool and Manchester’s strong independent bar cultures are something to celebrate. They give both cities a sense of identity.”

Revellers on a night out in Leeds, where licences are generally granted until 2am. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty

In London, Rupert Power has a later licence than many, with Jack Solomons Club granted a 1am licence before the 11.30pm core hours policy was introduced, but has struggled to extend it further to make the most of the post-theatre crowd in the West End.

“Realistically, if a show finishes at 10.30pm you’re hitting the dancefloor at midnight and lights up at 1am,” he said. “Twice I have had a later licence refused as it’s beyond core hours and would contravene the cumulative impact. Back in the 60s when it was the Scene club it had a 3am licence and many famous bands played here including the Rolling Stones. Is it a crime to have a good time after midnight?”

Some police forces agree with a more lenient approach to licensing. While the Metropolitan police frequently object to licences in London over concerns that more nightlife venues lead to crime, PC Ben Reader, from West Midlands police’s Birmingham central licensing team, disagrees.

“We’ve got a really vibrant night-time economy in Birmingham with a range of pubs, bars and clubs catering for a wide range of tastes and communities.

Digbeth, an ex-industrial neighbourhood in Birmingham known for club nights in former warehouses, has been named one of the ‘coolest neighbourhoods in Britain’. Photograph: Stephen Burke/The Guardian

“We will take action to put restrictions on licences or even apply for reviews if proportionate and necessary, but we will always try to work with venues to ensure they are providing a safe environment for customers and contributing to a thriving night-time economy for Birmingham.”

This autumn, Khan will be given new powers by the government that will allow him to override decisions made by local authorities in an attempt to stem the steady flow of nightclub and pub closures across London.

Sacha Lord, the founder of the Warehouse Project club and a former nightlife adviser to the Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham, said the secret to the Manchester’s booming nightlife was a permissive licensing regime.

“It’s down to the fact that we know how to have a good time; but it’s also down to the approach taken by the council with regards licensing,” he said. “They understand the importance of a thriving night-time economy and try to work with operators, allowing them the times that they require.

“I look at other authorities across the UK, for example Westminster, who seem to have an opposite approach. They seem obsessed with limiting hours, limiting outdoor seating and limiting people having fun. Their blinkered, naive approach is killing off nightlife, especially in Soho, which used to be the thriving epicentre of London’s nightlife.”

Early doors: areas with core hour zones

• Westminster (outside CIZ) – 11.30pm Mon–Thu, midnight Fri–Sat, 10.30pm Sun.

• Westminster (West End CIZ) – same hours apply but pubs/bars/fast food/music venues face blanket refusal on new licences regardless.

• Hackney – 11pm Mon–Thu, midnight Fri–Sat, 10.30pm Sun.

• Camden – midnight Mon–Thu, 12.30am Fri–Sat, 11pm Sun.

• Islington – 11pm weekdays, midnight Fri-Sat.

• Wandsworth – midnight weekdays, 2am Fri–Sat.

• Wigan – 1am Sun–Thu, 3am Fri–Sat and bank holidays.

• Aberdeen city centre – 2am weekdays, 3am Fri–Sat.

• Aberdeen outside city centre – midnight.

• Highland council – 1am for general on-site sales, 10pm for off-licences.