There was a meeting last night in Shoreditch Town Hall which brought together local residents and licensees to discuss the tensions that the night time economy can create and how the Council and the police are hoping to work together with the community to make the area a better place for everyone. It was at times lively but generally the debate was really constructive.
What struck me most of all was that many licensees seem to feel genuinely hard done by and really resent the Special Policy Area which restricts, amongst other things, opening hours in and around the Shoreditch triangle. Complaints about the SPA from licensees seem to miss the point.
Bars in Shoreditch that are struggling are not finding life difficult because of the Special Policy Area or because enforcement is too tough. They are struggling because people don't want to spend their money with them. If they should end up closing, hopefully someone more imaginative and talented will take over and make a go of the premises either as a bar or as a restaurant or some kind of day time use.
There are loads of good bars within the SPA that do just fine and it's no surprise that they are the ones who realise that running a successful bar in an area like this requires more than flinging up half a dozen plasmas and opening late. It requires investment in staff and premises, imagination and a willingness to try different things. No-one on the Council has it in for bar owners - if licensees stick to the rules there won't be a problem and if they don't they will be dealt with in a consistent and proportionate way.
The constant doom laden predictions I hear from Shoreditch bar owners that competition from other parts of London will kill the night time economy are nonsense. What will kill the area is if we fail to crack down on the badly run bars, fail to make people (especially women) feel safe when they go out here and fail to offer people something different. Cheap drinks, late hours and proximity to strip clubs is not a recipe for a sustainable Shoreditch. Fewer, better bars, more restaurants and cafes, well maintained green spaces, more trees and more day time retail is.
What struck me most of all was that many licensees seem to feel genuinely hard done by and really resent the Special Policy Area which restricts, amongst other things, opening hours in and around the Shoreditch triangle. Complaints about the SPA from licensees seem to miss the point.
Bars in Shoreditch that are struggling are not finding life difficult because of the Special Policy Area or because enforcement is too tough. They are struggling because people don't want to spend their money with them. If they should end up closing, hopefully someone more imaginative and talented will take over and make a go of the premises either as a bar or as a restaurant or some kind of day time use.
There are loads of good bars within the SPA that do just fine and it's no surprise that they are the ones who realise that running a successful bar in an area like this requires more than flinging up half a dozen plasmas and opening late. It requires investment in staff and premises, imagination and a willingness to try different things. No-one on the Council has it in for bar owners - if licensees stick to the rules there won't be a problem and if they don't they will be dealt with in a consistent and proportionate way.
The constant doom laden predictions I hear from Shoreditch bar owners that competition from other parts of London will kill the night time economy are nonsense. What will kill the area is if we fail to crack down on the badly run bars, fail to make people (especially women) feel safe when they go out here and fail to offer people something different. Cheap drinks, late hours and proximity to strip clubs is not a recipe for a sustainable Shoreditch. Fewer, better bars, more restaurants and cafes, well maintained green spaces, more trees and more day time retail is.
1 comment:
I'm quite amazed by this post, and the Labour in Haggerston blog in full.
As an established promoter who works within communities to enable young people to pick up instruments and do something positive in life, I was initially attracted to Shoreditch and Hackney. After reading the views of this blog, I can only come to the conclusion that my work would be a waste of time.
I have never experienced anti-social behaviour in the many times I have visited Shoreditch, and instead have found myself surrounded by creative, fun-loving and well behaved people. The good work these young people do for the community should not be underestimated, especially when you bear in mind that the bars and clubs of Shoreditch are being spoken about in publications as far afield as the New York Times.
Until I read this blog I was under the belief that Hackney Council supported its connections to art, music and fashion, and realised it's importance to local businesses and tourism. Sadly, it turns out I am mistaken.
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