News on Camden Evening and Night Time

Camden’s evening and late-night economy is the UK’s sixth largest, with 113,700 jobs, and attracts visitors to areas including Camden Town and Covent Garden.

The borough is home to seven per cent of London’s key cultural venues, including music venues Koko and the Electric Ballroom, and the Etcetera Theatre in Camden High Street.

Last week, at a full council meeting at Camden Council, we discussed how our evening and night-time offer must adapt to survive and thrive. A key part of this was reviewing the findings of the Citizen Assembly, which took place earlier this year to examine this issue.

You can see the papers and link to the video broadcast of the session here

Camden Council actively uses Citizen Assemblies to look at important issues – like our local action against the climate crisis. They bring together a representative range of our residents, industry experts and key partners to create recommendations on a way forward.

The Assembly’s report, which you can read here, sets some bold ambitions. It acknowledges the range of measures which will need to be in place to achieve this – from well-judged licensing right through to better transport and toilet provision.

The Assembly’s recommendations will be the bedrock of our emerging evening and night-time strategy and updated licencing policy which will be consulted on in the coming months.

The council debate heard from seven speakers from community, local venues, citizens’ assembly members, the Music Venues Alliance and the Mayor of London’s Night Czar, Amy Lamé. A lively debate discussed how to protect venues, what good practice looks like for licensed premises, how women’s safety can be improved and the welfare of workers.

Summing up the council debate, Cllr Beales, Cabinet Member for New Homes, Jobs and Investment made the following points that will inform the strategy work and our refresh of Camden’s Statement of Licensing Policy:

• Our Strategy has to be delivered in partnership between businesses and residents and be data led in developing interventions.

• Our policies on Assets of Community Value and upholding the Agent of Change principle have yielded results – like the Black Cap – but our licensing policies need reviewing to be more flexible in approach and rigorous in setting and holding licensees to high standards.

• The strategy must address the safety and ease of getting to and from a night out or a night shift and those who work at night have the same good work standards as those working during the day.

• Finally, we can’t lose sight of the creativity of bringing people together to solve problems, we will set up a ‘residents panel’ for the night time and a licensing charter will govern good outcomes from licensed premises.