Published: 03 October 2022 by Suraj Desor, Associate Solicitor, Poppleston Allen
Liverpool City Council have begun consultation on the existing Late Night Levy and whether it should be varied or removed. This consultation follows hot on the heels of the recent news that Nottingham City Council removed their Late Night Levy.
The Late Night Levy, as you may be aware, is an additional annual fee that operators of licensed premises within the Council area must pay if their premises licence or club certificate authorises the sale of alcohol during the period between midnight and 6am (subject to a small number of exemptions – in Liverpool these exemptions are premises only authorised to sell alcohol beyond midnight and 6.00 am on New Year’s Day and licensed premises operators already paying a Business Improvement District levy). The annual levy fee ranges from £299 a year for smaller businesses to £4,449 for larger business which are used exclusively or primarily for the sale of alcohol.
The consultation is now live and will run until 28th October 2022. A link to the consultation and details on how to respond can be found here: https://liverpool.gov.uk/council/consultation-and-engagement/consultation/
We would urge all licensees within Liverpool to respond to the consultation so that the Council are fully aware of your opinion as to whether the Late Night Levy Scheme and additional fee should be revoked.
Following the end of the consultation the responses will be collated and reviewed by the Licensing Committee to recommend a final decision, which will then go to Full Council for approval. If a decision to vary or remove the Late Night Levy is approved, it will take effect from 1 April 2023.
As always, we will monitor the outcome of the consultation and final decision and keep you updated.
