Commenting on the news that Gloucester City Council has deferred a decision on the implementation of a Late Night Levy until 21st July, Brigid Simmonds, Chief Executive, British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), comments:
“I am pleased that Gloucester City Council has chosen to defer the decision to implement a Late Night Levy and consider a Business Improvement District (BID) as an alternative course of action.
“Our response to Gloucester’s consultation made clear that a BID is an example of effective partnership working and will engage local businesses to help improve the local economy. In contrast, a Levy is a punitive new tax on already hard-pressed local businesses.
“The final decision on whether to implement a Levy will now be taken on 21st July. We will be urging Gloucester to use the next four months to reconsider their support for this costly measure, and instead follow the example of Cheltenham, which recently became the first council to remove a Levy in favour of a BID.
“The BBPA will continue to campaign against Late Night Levies on behalf of the industry, instead encouraging local authorities to consider the wide range of local partnership options that are available which provide real solutions to local issues.”