- Green Party sounds alarm over ‘unprecedented crisis’ for nightlife industry.
- Local businesses raise concerns over a “challenging environment” as bars, clubs, and music venues face new pressures and fear closure.
- A new report published by the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) shows that UK towns and cities have lost over 480 nightclubs since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Green Party campaigner and former publican, James Vessey-Miller, has called on Southend City Council to consider urgent action to support nightlife and live music venues within the City.
Local venue owners fear increased business rates and a rise in other operational costs will make trading even harder, and are calling on the Council for tailored support.
At the City Council meeting on 12th December 2024, Mr Vessey-Miller will put an urgent question to the Council:
“In the four years leading to June 2024, British towns and cities have reportedly lost a total of 480 nightclubs, averaging 10 closures per month, or two a week. It is estimated that the East of England has lost 39% of its total nightclub venues in that period.
“Since the pandemic, Southend has seen a dramatic reduction in our nightlife offering, with many of the City Centre’s venues now shuttered. The venues that remain open are facing unprecedented pressures; including noise complaints from new housing built near venues, dramatic increases in rents and rates, and restrictive licensing conditions.
“Venues like this are important for fostering a thriving city centre and play a key role in the attraction, well-being, and employment opportunities of local people. Will the portfolio holder agree to meet with me and other hospitality and nightlife leaders to discuss how the council can support our vital nighttime economy?”
In a statement, James Vessey-Miller said;
“We can’t discount how important Southend’s night-time economy is as both a key attraction for visitors and a significant employer of local people. But in the past few years, we’ve lost many of our cornerstone nightlife venues including Talk and Chameleon nightclubs, and more recently Ravens, Coco, and Revolution bar. The bars and clubs that remain trading in the City Centre now face new obstacles and challenges which could result in closure unless something is done. This could have a terminal impact on our city’s attractiveness as a destination and as a place to live, with significant impacts on our local economy.
“Venue owners have told me they’re concerned that increases in rents and business rates and more restrictive licensing conditions could make operating nighttime venues unworkable. Additionally, the council has green-lit new housing developments around the High Street which will make it impossible to operate a late-opening bar or nightclub in the city centre without receiving frequent noise complaints.
“Venue owners tell me that schemes like the Purple Flag accreditation are just window-dressing. The Council has received this award every year for 11 years, and we’ve lost eleven of our major city-centre nightclubs and bars in that same time. Most equivalent cities are seeing nightlife footfall recover to pre-pandemic levels, but not in Southend. The Council should be asking; why?
“After speaking with local venue owners, I have taken this issue to the City Council and asked that they meet with me and other nightlife leaders to address their concerns, and discuss what can be proactively done to support these businesses.”
– ENDS –
Photo credit: Jess Hawkins
Notes for the editor:
- DJ MAG: “65 UK nightclubs have closed in 2024 so far, with the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) calling for urgent, targeted support from government to help with an “unprecedented crisis”. In the four years leading to June 2024, British towns and cities have reportedly lost a total of 480 clubs, averaging at 10 per month, or two a week.”
Citation: https://djmag.com/news/65-uk-nightclubs-shut-2024-unprecedented-crisis-nightlife - BBC: “The Music Venues Trust (MVT) said financial stresses led 125 UK venues to abandon live music in 2023, with over half of these shutting entirely. Soaring utility bills and an average 37.5% rent hike put the surviving 835 venues at risk, which typically secured profits of just 0.5%, MVT said. It was the sector’s “most challenging year” of the past decade, it added. Their annual report found the grassroots scene remains “significantly underfunded compared to other areas of culture”, despite contributing over £500m to the economy and employing almost 30,000 people.
Citation: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-68050664 - ECHO ESSEX: ”Southend was rated fifth worst in the UK [for nightlife], despite ranking relatively well for the price of a pint, at just £3.78 on average. The city was let down by a lack of bars and clubs, with just 17.41 per 100,000 residents, well below its score of 83.24 pubs per 100,000 residents.“
Citation: https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/20052480.southend-city-night-life-rated-fifth-worst-uk/