A gold standard for night venues should include security of people on nights out, says a London Assembly report on the NTE (night-time economy). A NTE that prioritises the well-being of individuals on a night out, and the workers who service them, and emphasises a shared responsibility to do so, should be an integral part of the capital’s NTE. Integral to both is responsible alcohol consumption, the report added.
On the London Assembly Economy Committee’s site visit to Croydon, the committee heard of examples where club security staff look after the well-being of customers, particularly lone individuals who may have consumed too much alcohol or women being pestered by other customers. Help can range from managing their alcohol intake, to arranging a safe travel to their home. The report authors encouraged London’s Night Time Commission to prioritise bringing the industry together to discuss how to develop such a gold standard.
On health and safety, sites visits to monitor night-time workplace safety need to happen at night, the report says. Workers told committee members of instances where fire safety and other inspections were carried out during the day when venues were not in use. This means that dangerous practices, such as propping open a fire door when the venue is exceptionally busy, or has become hot, can easily be missed, the report warns. And NTE workers represented at the committee’s round-table event spoke of the challenges of finding transport for the whole of their homeward journeys, and of feeling unsafe at times; something also true of cleaners and NHS staff, the report added.
For the full 49-page document, ‘Rewrite the night: the future of London’s night time economy’, visit https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/rewrite_the_night_final.pdf.
Caroline Russell, London Assembly member who chairs the Economy Committee, said: “Culture needs to be at the heart of diversifying London’s night time economy. It’s not just about bars, clubs and drinking. London’s night time economy should be a thriving and accessible space for Londoners, which involves families. There’s plenty going on in outer London boroughs and it should be showcased. It is absolutely crucial that the welfare of night time workers is high on the agenda. These workers need to feel safe, be fairly paid and be able to safely travel to and from their places of work. We also can’t forget about residents and their important views on the impact of the night time economy on their lives. To develop a 24-hour city, the Mayor needs to build on his vision for a more diverse night time economy. It must be open, affordable and accessible to all Londoners.”
The report also called on London Mayor Sadiq Khan to support museums and galleries, particularly in outer London, to extend their opening hours and to ensure events are well promoted across the capital; and for NTW workers to be paid the ‘London Living Wage’.
Picture by Mark Rowe; outside Cargo night club in Shoreditch, featured in the March 2018 print issue of Professional Security as the venue for a police and ambulance training morning in January for response to an acid attack on patrons on the dance floor.
Meanwhile the pub trade body the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has welcomed to the Night Time Commission’s call for evidence on London’s evening and late-night sector, while remaining against imposition of Late-Night Levies or blanket licensing conditions. The BBPA agreed that that all stakeholders in the night-time economy should work together at a local level using initiatives such as Pubwatch, Business Improvement Districts, Best Bar None, Purple Flag, Street Pastors, and Community Alcohol Partnerships.
