Proposed clampdown on Hackney nightlife rejected
Inside the Nest, Dalston
Clubs, bars and their patrons in Dalston, Shoreditch and Stoke Newington can continue to enjoy a vibrant nightlife after a consultation showed that the majority of residents opposed tighter licensing restrictions in these areas.
More than 1000 people responded to the consultation, which found that 77 per cent of respondents were opposed to introducing a special policy area (SPA) to restrict new licences in Dalston, 75 per cent opposed one in Stoke Newington and 72 per cent were against extending the existing SPA in Shoreditch.
Hackney Council approved a new licensing policy reflecting these views at a full council meeting on 24 November 2010 and the policy came into effect last week, from 7 January.
Christian Nockall, who promotes the night Lively at Dalston’s newest club The Nest, welcomed the decision. “This is really good news,” he said. “Dalston has an emerging reputation for underground nights out and it’s encouraging that the people have spoken and they want this to continue.”
SPAs allow tighter restrictions on new licences in areas considered to be suffering a negative impact due to a concentration of licensed premises. However, there were concerns that they could damage the borough’s burgeoning nightlife.
The results of this survey do not represent local residents’ views at all: the forms could be returned without stating names or addresses, and I understand that several bar/club owners were getting their customers to return the forms en masse.
I am involved in various local community groups, and virtually every local resident I have discussed this with wants to extend the s.p.a.(in which there is a presumption against new licences) and to REDUCE the number of bars and clubs in Hackney.
The writer of the above article might want to consider that the ‘burgeoning nightlife’ has in reality been accompanied by burgeoning crime and anti-social behaviour, burgeoning police and hospital requirements, burgeoning street cleaning bills and burgeoning complaints from local residents and non-bar businesses.
On the plus side, there is a burgeoning number of non-bar aspects to Hackney’s regeneration (residential, retail, small business), which means that we don’t actually need or want any more bars, either economically or in any other way.
If Hackney Citizen would care to interview hackney citizens, most of whom make their Nests here permanently and not just on Fri and Sat nights, they would hear a burgeoning chorus of similar observations.
I find the above comment to be out of touch and that they have been speaking with entirely the wrong demographic in order to garner their “citizen” views. Dalston’ s life and soul is in such places, thus why so many people have responded and made their viewpoints clear. Be proud of your community and of Hackney for creating such a cultural hub – one of the most lively, affordable (important in these times of economic hardship) and fashionable areas of london. Why crush a part of London frequented by many respectable members of the younger generation that is an economic pillar of success in such difficult times?