Late Night Levy Review Consultation

Overview

Camden Council is reviewing the operation of its Late Night Levy (LNL), a charge is currently applied to businesses licensed to sell alcohol between midnight and 6am.
The Levy helps fund additional policing and measures that keep Camden safe and clean at night, particularly in areas with busy late-night activity.

We are now holding a 6-week public consultation to gather views from residents, businesses, licence holders, and community organisations on proposed changes to how the Levy operates.

Your views will inform recommendations to Full Council in March 2026.

Why are we reviewing the Late Night Levy?

The Council committed to reviewing the Levy following new national guidance and feedback from local businesses and residents.
An independent review by SixTillSix Ltd and MAKE Associates found that the Levy:

• Funds 72 hours of additional high-visibility policing every week, helping reduce theft, violent crime and antisocial behaviour
• Helps maintain safety in high-activity areas such as Camden Town, Holborn and Tottenham Court Road
• Ensures late-night businesses contribute fairly to managing the costs of the night-time economy
• Is valued by many residents and businesses—but concerns were raised about fairness, transparency, and oversight
• Has not been reviewed since its introduction in 2016

The review shows that Camden’s night-time economy has changed, and the Levy must evolve to remain fair, transparent and effective.

You can read:

• The full Independent Review
• Report to Licensing Committee - Review of the Camden Late Night Levy 2025
• The recommended proposal
• Crime and policing data informing the review

What changes are being proposed?

Following the independent review, the Council is proposing to Retain the Levy with significant reforms.
This option was identified as the most balanced and effective approach for Camden’s needs.

Recommended Option: Retain the Late Night Levy with Significant Reforms

This option would:

1. Maintain Dedicated Policing Resource

• Continue to allocate the majority of Levy income to fund dedicated high visibility policing interventions across the night-time economy.
• Retain current funding allocations of 70% to the Met Police and 30% retained by the Council to ensure consistent and reliable police deployment.

2. Enhance Transparency and Accountability

• Publish an annual report to Licensing Committee detailing Levy income, expenditure, and outcomes.
• Provide monthly police updates on officer hours, activities, and impact (e.g. arrests, seizures, safeguarding interventions) to the LNL consultative group.
• Monthly update to the LNL Consultative Group.

3. Strengthen Stakeholder Engagement

• Expand the Late-Night Levy Consultative Group to include a broader range of businesses, alongside Council licensing officers, community safety teams, and the police.
• Meetings held monthly and to include levy-paying licensees in oversight of spending.

4. Broaden the Contribution Base and Refine Exemptions

• Extend the Levy to late-night refreshment premises to reflect their role in the late-night economy and to increase fairness.
• Retain or introduce exemptions and reductions for community premises and amateur sports clubs.
• Maintain BID reductions but require evidence of activity that reduces the negative impacts on the night-time economy for levy-paying businesses to benefit from the 30% relief.

5. Embed in a Strategic Framework

• Align the Levy with Camden’s wider Night-Time Economy Strategy, ensuring it contributes to safety, inclusivity, and vibrancy.
• Appoint a Late-Night Manager/Coordinator to oversee Levy-funded initiatives, strengthen engagement with businesses, and champion best practice. The Manager/Coordinator would support local businesses,
• Promote initiatives like WAVE and Ask for Angela, and provide feedback through multi-agency forums.

Why this option?

The review concluded that the recommended option:

• Addresses fairness and transparency issues raised by businesses and stakeholders
• Preserves essential safety benefits provided by additional policing
• Ensures late-night trading continues to contribute to managing its impacts
• Avoids the risks of removing the Levy entirely, which would reduce policing and undermine public safety

The Council believes this option delivers the clearest benefits for residents, visitors and businesses.

Other Options Considered

Keep the Levy as it is

Would maintain policing benefits but fails to address concerns about transparency, fairness and business engagement.
Stakeholder dissatisfaction is likely to continue.

Remove the Levy

Would respond to some business concerns about costs, but would remove around 72 hours of dedicated weekly policing and reduce the Council’s ability to tackle night-time crime, ASB and public nuisance.

What We Want to Hear From You

We are seeking views from:

• Residents
• Licence holders and late-night businesses
• Late-night refreshment premises
• Business Improvement Districts
• Community groups
• Visitors and workers in the night-time economy
• Responsible authorities and partners

Your feedback will be used to decide whether to adopt the proposed reforms.

Why your views matter

After the consultation, a decision report will be produced and published online via our website. Local residents and stakeholders will be notified of the outcome. The report will consider a broad range of information including consultation responses, relevant policies, and other data/information.

For information on how we will use data collected from this consultation read our privacy statement: Data protection, privacy and cookies - Camden Council The results/responses may be shared with external consultants for analysis and evaluation.