NIGHTVISION

TOWN CENTRES FOR ALL

The Civic Trust is an independent, national organisation with charitable status. It is the umbrella body for over 800 civic societies, representing over 250,000 individuals committed to improving and caring for places where people live and work.

It is the leading UK charity dedicated to bringing vitality, sustainability and high quality design to the built environment. The Trust works with people to promote thriving towns and villages, developing dynamic partnerships between communities, government and business to deliver regeneration and local improvements.

Registered Charity: 1068759

Essex Hall 1-6 Essex St London WC2R 3HU

www.civictrust.org.uk

Cover photograph – Manchester’s China Town (Photo: Manchester City Council)

The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All

NIGHTVISION

TOWN CENTRES FOR ALL

Supported by The Department for Communities and Local Government, The BCSC Educational Trust, Land Securities, the Institute of Alcohol Studies, St George and Grosvenor

October 2006

The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All

CONTENTS Page

Foreword: Baroness Andrews OBE Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State The Department for Communities and Local Government 1

Civic Trust Foreword and Acknowledgements Beyond just coping 3 The Civic Trust and 5pm to 9am 3 The Programme of Research 4 The Civic Trust and NightVision 4

Executive Summary 5

1. Town Centres for All

1.1 Positive and negative visions 8 1.2 How the dream turned sour: eight stages 9 One: out of hours and out of luck! 9 Two: the 24 hour city 9 Three: planning for growth 9 Four: the “urban renaissance” 9 Five: loosening the ties 9 Six: the storm clouds gather 2000-2005 10 Seven: the 2003 Licensing Act 10 Eight: a new realism? 10

1.3 How big? 11 1.4 Counting the cost 11 1.5 How can diversity help? 11 1.6 In ten years’ time? 13

2. The 5 to 9 Centre Today

2.1 Snapshots of urban nightlife 14 Manchester: something for everyone? 14 Shoreditch, London: fashionable and edgy 15 The Mailbox, Birmingham: upmarket and aspirational 15 Xscape, Milton Keynes: a mega family attraction 15 Reading: hi-tech and highballs 16 Blackpool: reinventing the seaside “party town” 17

2.2 What town centres offer today: local authority survey 17 2.2.1 What’s open and what’s not 18 2.2.2 What still works after hours 20 2.2.3 Concern about alcohol domination 20 2.2.4 Barriers to going out 21 2.2.5 Focus group perceptions/experience of town centres today 21 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All

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2.3 Common barriers to going out at night: focus group research of non-participants 22 2.3.1 Transport 22 2.3.2 Policing, safety and security 22 2.3.3 Style and type of venue 23 2.3.4 Childcare 24 2.3.5 Cost 24

2.4 Perceptions of 18-35s: electronic and postal survey 25 2.4.1 When you go out 25 2.4.2 What you do 25 2.4.3 What influences your choice? 27 2.4.4 Chief concerns 27

3. Inclusive Town Centres and Consumers of Tomorrow

3.1 What do we want? 31 3.1.1 Focus group research of non-participants 31 3.1.2 More choice in bars and pubs 31 3.1.3 Entertainment for children and families 32 3.1.4 Culture and events 33

3.2 Perceptions of 18-35s: email survey 33 3.2.1 Transport 34 3.2.2 Shops and services 34 3.2.3 Eating out 35 3.2.4 Public venues 35 3.2.5 Arts culture and events 36

3.3 Conclusions 36

4. View from the Front Line – The Industry

4.1 Introduction 39 4.1.1 National operators 40 4.1.2 Five hotspots 40

4.2 Our Findings 41 4.2.1 Growth will continue 41 4.2.2 A handful of corporate owners dominate the high street at night 41 4.2.3 Safety, crime and antisocial behaviour – not as bad as you think? 41 4.2.4 Perception and reality 41 4.2.5 Acceptable levels of misbehaviour? 42 4.2.6 More police on the beat needed 42 4.2.7 Bingeing, price discounting and responsible service 42 4.2.8 A commercial imperative 43 4.2.9 Not discounting can create diversity 44 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All

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4.2.10 Saturation: too many businesses touting for custom 44 4.2.11 Physical proximity matters 44 4.2.12 All agreed that a lack of infrastructure is making things worse 44 4.2.13 Late transport is improving, but is still poor 45 4.2.14 No free public toilets available 45 4.2.15 Partnerships – mixed support 45 4.2.16 Partnership should be corporate and local policy 46 4.2.17 Criteria for success 46 4.2.18 Generally against paying more for better town centres – an “extra tax” 47

4.3 The Licensing Act and the future 47

4.4 Practical steps 48

4.5 Overall – a lack of consensus 49

4.6 A nationally agreed framework is needed 50

5. Market Futures, Diversity and Products of Tomorrow

5.1 Introduction 52 5.2 Alcohol and the 18 to 30s 52 5.3 Market forces have squeezed out diversity in the evening economy 53 5.4 Market “failure”? 53 5.5 Consumers will slowly become more diverse 54 5.5.1 Over 30s are a market opportunity 54 5.5.2 More people are drinking at home 54 5.5.3 Family and household change provides an opportunity 54 5.5.4 Women-friendly venues can change the culture 55 5.5.5 Gay-owned premises are making a difference 55 5.5.6 Students will become increasingly important to the diversity of the evening economy 55 5.5.7 Teenagers remain an excluded group 55

5.6 Product innovation and diversity 56 5.6.1 The market has become saturated 56 5.6.2 Drinking is cheaper. Alcohol is getting stronger. More product choice and higher quality? 57 5.6.3 The pub will remain the mainstay of the evening economy 57 5.6.4 The rise of food-led venues will continue. Consumers are becoming more adventurous! 57 5.6.5 Large venues and themed concepts are in decline 58 5.6.6 Clubs have had a rough ride but new formats are emerging 58 5.6.7 “Culturepreneurs” need room to grow 59 5.6.8 The challenge of town centre versus edge of centre and out of town leisure 59 5.6.9 Cinema – a truly diverse space, but not the town centre force it once was 60 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All

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5.6.10 Live entertainment rocks, but could rock harder! 60 5.6.11 City breaks bring in the big spenders, but they can be fickle 61 5.6.12 Shops will gradually open later – lagging way behind social change 62

5.7 Public buildings at the heart of the evening economy? 63 5.7.1 Museums and galleries are (almost) the new clubs 63 5.7.2 The library as “a night out” 64

6. Creating Town Centres for All

6.1 A better way forward. New goals 67 6.2 A success story, but could be better? 67 6.3 Town centres for all 68 6.4 The challenge of the future 68 6.5 The future is about delivery 68 6.6 Diversity is part of the solution 68 6.7 What does diversity look like? 69 6.8 Ten principles One. Embody the community health agenda in policy and transform behavioural norms 70 Two. Collect the basic data. Develop a sophisticated market and consumer understanding to go alongside performance measures and inclusion targets 72 Three. Promote local choice. Encourage the “fresh shoots” of innovation and growth 73 Four. Create family-friendly and child-friendly centres 74 Five. Improve accessibility. Deliver safe, affordable public transport at night 75 Six. Set new standards in customer care. Make the public realm welcoming and hospitable 76 Seven. Good planning – “a once-in-a-generation opportunity”? 78 Eight. Place-making: develop a new language of design 80 Nine. Promote flexible hours and multiple use of public buildings 81 Ten. Extend shopping and other services into the evening 82

7. Setting Standards, Delivering Success

7.1 Taking responsibility 84 7.1.1 Operators and managers 84 7.1.2 Developers and landlords 84 7.1.3 Town planners 86 7.1.4 Agencies for regulation and infrastructure 86 7.1.5 Residents – eyes and ears 86 7.1.6 Consumers – the missing voice? 86

7.2 Four stages of partnership 87

7.3 Three policy imperatives 87

The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All

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7.4 F irst imperative: six steps in control and customer care 88 1. A consensus for action based on fresh values 88 2. Restore order 88 3. Promote voluntary codes and standards 88 4. Empower the community in support 88 5. Deliver higher standards of customer care 89 6. Place marketing and changing perceptions 90

7.5 Second Imperative: a vision and strategy for a more diverse future 90 NightVision proofing model 90 Step one: research – a “diversity audit” 91 Step two: vision and framework 93 Step three: “NightVision proofing” of strategies and plans 94 Step four: action and delivery 94 Step five: evaluation of impact 94

7.6 Third imperative: integrated delivery and management 95 A learning curve 95 Stage one: liaison 95 Stage two: crisis management 95 Stage three: integrated management 96 Stage four: BIDs - ownership and delivery 97

7.7 Beyond BIDs? 98

Appendices

Appendix 1: Civic Trust research reports 101 Appendix 2: The evening economy proofing model 104 Appendix 3: Acknowledgements: authors, co n tr ib u tor s, s p o ns o r s and Advisory Panel members 105 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Foreword

Foreword

Baroness Andrews OBE, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State The Department of Communities and Local Government

Town centres should be for everyone to enjoy. Unfortunately this is not always the case. Rapid social and cultural trends have changed the way we use our towns and cities after hours. The growth of the evening and late-night economy pose a major challenge for our towns and cities and we have to learn how to manage this activity in the interests of all the many stakeholders involved and the whole community.

“NightVision: Town Centres for All” paints an evocative picture of the town centres after hours we all want - to ensure that, in the future, town centres become more inclusive in order to meet the needs and aspirations of the whole community. This means town centres which are not just safer and cleaner, but which also offer a wider range of affordable activities - more places to go and things to see and do - so that everyone feels the town centre belongs to them.

My Department has been pleased therefore to have supported, through its Special Grants Programme, the Civic Trust's three-year project to promote good practice in managing and developing the evening and late-night economy.

This comprehensive report highlights some of the essential elements needed to provide variety, choice and greater accessibility in evening and late-night economies and how to achieve a sustainable balance between them. It will make a valuable contribution to current thinking on the subject and practice across the country.

1 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Foreword

The central conclusion is that our town and city centres have a bright future where they are prepared for the management of the evening economy. The benefits are great in terms of sustainable economic growth, additional employment opportunities, and mixed communities that have access to a range of main town-centre uses and facilities, as well as an improved physical environment.

For this to happen, as the report recognises, there needs to be a cultural and organisational shift. At a time when more and more people are choosing to live at the heart of our towns and cities, centres must be seen as attractive, accessible, safe and unthreatening places to be in after hours and after dark.

The creation of real choice and diversity requires the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders: property owners and developers, entrepreneurs, the public sector and many others. There are individual examples in this report of what can be achieved. I hope they inspire you to consider how similar approaches might be adopted in your areas.

Much is being done across Government to help create cleaner, safer and greener communities, Our ' How To' programme is helping practitioners and local communities share knowledge and learning on how they have taken effective and innovative action to improve the quality of their town centres, neighbourhoods and parks. Areas that have considered the development of their evening and night-time economies show that it is possible to develop active, safe and inclusive centres and many areas are planning for a positive future. Local authorities and local partnerships should be bold and proactive in delivering change on the ground.

It is a huge opportunity and everyone can learn much from each other and from the lessons of the past by sharing and building on the good practice and ideas contained in this report.

2 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Civic Trust Foreword and Acknowledgements

CIVIC TRUST FOREWORD AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Beyond just coping subject and contribute to the national debate about the new bill.

A huge amount of policy and In 2003 the Trust was successful in good practice exists on town winning a grant from DCLG’s (formerly known as the ODPM) Special Grants and city centres. But lifestyles Programme for a three year and the market have changed programme of research, events and faster than public policy, case studies, leading to the which is still catching up with preparation of recommendations for good practice. The grant was matched the dynamic growth of by sponsorship from the private sector. nightlife. Policy and good practice are still mainly coping Those whose support continued throughout the programme were the with the negative effects, but BCSC Educational Trust, Land there is a need for a more Securities and the Institute of Alcohol positive and strategic Studies, St George and Grosvenor approach. This report looks have also made particularly strong contributions to the work at key stages ahead to the kind of town and in the programme. We are grateful too city centres we want in the to the British Institute of Innkeeping future, how to make the for their sponsorship of our two transformation and who needs conferences in 2004 and 2005 and Luminar Leisure for their additional to come together to make it support of our 2004 conference. happen. Already, there are many positive signs of In year one we set up an Advisory Panel consisting of our sponsors, improvement. A spirit of government and experts from the change is in the air. We are voluntary sector. This has optimistic for the future, accompanied us, advised us along the provided that all stakeholders way and has added immeasurably to our understanding of the subject. We can work together effectively list its members in the appendix. To all to create better town centres. the above we express our sincere thanks.

The Civic Trust and 5pm to 9am A central premise and feature of the programme is that policy and good The Civic Trust’s commitment springs practice has to be cross-cutting and from practical experience of must involve all stakeholders to be regeneration activity in some 200 successful. Our research has focused locations under its Centre Vision specifically on the distinct perspectives programme and from the views and of each of the main interested parties, concerns of its members. In 2002 The their individual commitment to good Civic Trust set up an expert panel, the practice and the potential for a Open All Hours Group, to examine the collaborative advantage in the future.

3 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Civic Trust Foreword and Acknowledgements

The programme of research This report summarises our findings and looks ahead to the type of centre we want in the future. The perspective Our research programme took the we bring to the research and to this following shape: report reflects our charitable remit, including a commitment to quality and excellence in all aspects of the urban Year One: Local authorities and experience, a belief in the added value town-centre developers that local ownership and multi-sector management can bring and optimism National survey of local for a better urban future. authorities The authors of this report were Paul A dozen case studies of action Davies and Hannah Mummery, who and good practice by public and drew extensively on the research private sectors undertaken for the Trust by the Central Cities Institute of the University of Westminster and the Erskine Year Two: The operators of Corporation. We would like to thank destinations and venues especially Professor Marion Roberts,, Dr Adam Eldridge, Dr Galina Publication of Good Practice in Gornostaeva and Alistair Turnham – Managing the Evening and Late- without whom this report could not Night Economy have been produced.

Research for DCLG towards How To Manage Town Centres The Civic Trust and NightVision

Survey of operators of the The Civic Trust is continuing its evening and night-time economy, commitment to this topic under nationally and in five selected NightVision with the support of hotspots Grosvenor, Liberty International, Land Securities and other sponsors. There are two main components: Year Three: The Market, Consumers, Diversity and Pilot and exemplar initiatives to Inclusion test specific good practice elements on the ground with local Opportunities appraisal of market and regional partners, leading to and other trends the development of a “core agenda” of techniques, standards Around the Clock Town Centres and good practice for for All : a survey of diversity in dissemination to practitioners and town centres policymakers.

Website survey of 18 to 35 age A NightVision “Campaign” - the range vehicle we will use to communicate the lessons learned to all Focus group consumer research interested parties, drawing on the of non-participants in five towns practical experience from our and cities pilots. This will include an annual Civic Trust NightVision Award, network seminars, printed and electronic media.

4 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Executive Summary

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

may well be a little bit better, but The early 1990s dream of varied, otherwise much the same. congenial and convivial town

centres after hours remains a With this in mind we have set out three dream today imperatives for future success:

In Chapter One we describe the stages of growth in the evening 1. Control and customer care. economy, the easing of licensing Regain control and transform restrictions, growing public concern standards of customer care. about antisocial behaviour in licensed Make town centres hospitable premises and on the streets and the and welcoming national policy response – including the 2003 Licensing Act. We ask how 2. Vision and strategy. the provision of a balanced mix of Replace the policy vacuum with activities, open to all, can help to bring positive visions and strategies the dream and reality closer together. for a more diverse future. Develop a new agenda, with the aim of ensuring a greater Policymakers and practitioners balance of venues, more variety, have been overtaken by the speed choice and accessibility for all of the growth in the evening economy 3. Partnership and delivery. Integrate all the relevant This growth put town centres under management functions. intense pressure. From the early Encourage all interests to take 1990s large numbers of people began responsibility. Extend the scope to converge on town centres, at a time of town-centre management and when many people were asleep and Business Improvement Districts the machinery for keeping centres into the evening and late night. running smoothly had long since stopped for the day. A decade later, following pioneering work by a handful Our vision is of town centres of local authorities, a tactical response where everyone should be able to is now gathering momentum go out at any hour – young and nationally, with a focus on crime old, families and children. Town reduction and round-the-clock town- centres should not be “no-go centre management, including a areas” for anyone at any time growing role for Business Improvement Districts. The research shows that variety and choice are both lacking in town centres A broader strategic approach is today. These are not only good things necessary with “town centres for in themselves, but also essential all” as the aim building blocks in creating healthier town centres - where activities are The consensus amongst experts we more balanced and behaviour more interviewed is that in ten years’ time, self-regulated. without further action, town centres

5 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Executive Summary

After hours, town centres are Our research suggests that it is dominated by commercial eating essential to secure effective and drinking venues partnership with operators and self- regulation by the industry, but In Chapters Two and Three we look at that this will be a real challenge in town centres today, the range of the immediate future choices available after hours, how consumers use them and what they In Chapter Four we present the would like to see in the future. operators’ viewpoint based on surveys The picture that emerges is that, after at national level and in five hotspots. hours, town centres are largely There are common concerns – the dominated by alcohol-based and lack of policing and infrastructure for youth-oriented entertainment, with a example. The overall impression is of limited range of other activities a youthful, intensely competitive and available and with few of the normal highly fragmented industry. There was public services available after 8pm. a marked lack of consensus about The lack of public transport outside what constitutes irresponsible price London is a recurring theme. discounting and antisocial behaviour for example. Attitudes to partnership More people would go out if things were also very mixed. There was were better considerable antagonism to the concept of paying more for extra We identified four principal barriers to services. At the same time we found going out: many instances of positive actions by individual operators. a lack of adequate public transport fear connected with the lack of Innovation in the market will lead visible policing to increased variety and choice, the style and restricted choice of but public policy and leadership venues and are also needed the cost of an evening out.

Our consumers’ wish lists included In Chapter Five we look at market more variety in bars and clubs, quieter trends and diversity. The evidence venues, family-friendly venues, suggests that market forces have something for young teenagers to do, squeezed out diversity in the past. free events, late-opening food shops, Entertainment venues based on the non-urgent medical facilities, sports supply and consumption of alcohol and leisure centres. There was have become increasingly support too for cultural activities – concentrated in the hands of a theatres, museums and art galleries – relatively small number of major particularly where, as is the case with operators. Greater London, these were already available. Entrepreneurs in this area have not previously been seen to be deserving cases for public support, but perhaps this should change, given the dynamic growth of the creative and media sectors. In the future, the mainstream bar, club and pub industry will provide for a slightly older clientele, as current consumers mature. There may be slightly less cut- throat competition as

6 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Executive Summary

the worst of the poorly-managed premises go to the wall. 1. Embody the community health agenda in policy and transform Flexible hours mean that pubs and behavioural norms bars can compete with the clubs for late-night trade and thereby offer more 2. Collect the basic data. Develop choice. The continuing competition a sophisticated market and may force venues to be more consumer understanding to go distinctive, offering music and alongside performance entertainment, food and higher measures and inclusion targets standards of customer care, rather than competing principally on price. 3. Promote local choice. Encourage the fresh shoots of innovation and growth In the future shopping hours will gradually extend into the early 4. Create family-friendly and child- evening and later friendly centres

Twenty-four hour food shopping has 5. Improve accessibility. Deliver already arrived. Developers safe, affordable public transport understand that it is now important for at night shops to compete more strongly for the “leisure pound”, given the growth 6. Set new standards in customer in internet shopping. But town-centre care. Make the public realm managers and others will need to welcoming and hospitable support this trend by helping to create the right ambience and the kind of 7. Use planning to shape the evening destination in which late future of town centres at night shopping can thrive. 8. Develop a new language of design. Design out crime and The public sector will slowly find design in delight ways of making cultural and other

attractions available to a growing 9. Promote flexible hours and the late-night audience multiple use of public buildings: art galleries, libraries, museums This involves taking a new look at and schools some well-worn institutions like public libraries, promoting more special 10. Extend shopping and other events and finding ways of allocating services into the evening. staff time in innovative ways to provide cover after normal hours. A new methodology The evening economy is at a critical stage of development and there is huge potential. In Chapter Six we In Chapter Seven we set out a process describe what a diverse town centre for change under our “three might look like. We set out ten imperatives”. We show how the many principles for change: relevant groups and skills need to be drawn together – and in new ways to address the opportunity ahead. We offer a new model: “an evening economy proofing model” - a procedure for integrating the strategic capabilities of participating agencies.

7 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Town Centres for All

1. TOWN CENTRES FOR ALL

Late-night funfair in Covent Garden (Photo: Paul Davies)

1.1 Positive and negative in Liverpool City Centre, 150,000 in visions Leeds and 130,000 in Manchester. In some centres more people are on the streets at midnight than at midday. The dynamic growth of eating, drinking While there are positive impacts in and dancing late into the night and into terms of jobs and business created, the early morning has taken the nation the negative impacts of this major by surprise. The 24-hour economy lifestyle change on law and order, was initially seen by innovative city public health and neighbouring planners as a way of reviving town- residents were highlighted in the centre economies hit hard by regional media and in the debate surrounding shopping centres and waves of out-of - the passage of the 2003 Licensing town developments. The positive Acti, which came into force on 24th vision was linked to our experiences of November 2005. foreign travel, the café culture enjoyed in the Mediterranean, the evocative Town centres are beginning to offer a examples of urban revival shifting kaleidoscope of experiences - demonstrated in Barcelona and from daytime shopping to early elsewhere. evening leisure, to eating, drinking, cinema and culture later at night and Not so long ago many complained finally to drinking and dancing into the about the streets being empty and early morning. Now even wind-down dark after hours. Now, in London’s venues are springing up for early West End nearly 380,000 could be out morning revellers to “chill out” before on the town at the weekend, 250,000 making their way home.

8 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Town Centres for All

1.2 How the dream turned sour: developments in city centres, better eight stages lighting and a relaxation in the granting of special hours certificates allowing entertainment venues to stay open From the early 1990s the expansion of longer. the evening and night economies was seen as something of a panacea for Three: planning for growth faltering town centres. The story The Government gave encouragement became increasingly dominated by to the expansion of evening and night- alcohol as manufacturers and time activities in Planning Policy operators moved to exploit the new Guidance Note No 6 (Town Centres business opportunity. We touch on the and Retail)iii. The 1996 revision stages of growth and reappraisal included a recommendation that larger below. city centres should create distinct quarters or zones for leisure and One: out of hours and out of luck! entertainment: cinemas, nightclubs, Fears about the state of many town pubs, restaurants, bars and cafés. and city centres were highlighted by Around the same time, a government- ii the Out of Hours report in 1990. One sponsored report suggested that of its authors, Franco Bianchini, recalls creating lively streets full of people attempting to entertain a visiting party would promote natural surveillance from the continent in a provincial town and enhance public safety. centre in England. Having set off to find a restaurant for dinner they arrived Four: the “urban renaissance” back at their hotel scarcely five Both the Urban Task Force reportiv in minutes later after a fruitless search! 1999 and the subsequent Urban White The authors of the report concluded Paperv in 2000 refer to evening and that centres were losing their sense of night-time activities but make no civic culture and were becoming recommendations about it. Instead, simply shopping and commercial approving reference was made to centres by day and ghost towns by cities such as Manchester, where a night. lively bar and club culture, accompanied by an influx of city centre Local authorities reported that cities residents, seemed to be achieving the were being hijacked or colonised by goals of the urban renaissance in the the young; the so called lager lout evening and at night. phenomenon. Councils were encouraged to regard their town Five: loosening the ties centres less as nine-to-five retailing Two major changes in policy facilitated and employment centres and more as an expansion in alcohol related an eighteen-hours-a-day, seven-days- entertainment and the bar and club a-week, economic, social and cultural culture. First, the1988 Licensing Act destinations. permitted continuous opening hours on weekdays and, in the revision of Two: the 24-hour city the legislation in 1995, on Sundays The idea of expanding civic culture in too. The second major change the evening and night was taken up occurred in 1999 when the Good enthusiastically by many British towns Practice Guide for licensing and cities in the 1990s under the magistrates took away the necessity to banner of the “24-hour city”. By 1995 issue licenses on the basis of “need”. cities such as Manchester, Leeds and This meant that a concentration of Nottingham had introduced specific premises would not prevent a licence measures – cultural animation, being issued unless the police could environmental improvements, demonstrate an effect on public safety. encouraging more housing

9 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Town Centres for All

Six: the storm clouds gather The legislation was strongly influenced 2000 - 2005 by research that showed the link From 2000 onwards concerns were between badly managed-premises and raised in academic research, in civic antisocial behaviour and between organisations and from Government standard closing hours, congestion on itself. All expressed concern that a the streets and violence. The Act mono-culture of entertainment venues, sought to address both problems by based on the consumption of alcohol strengthening controls and penalties and directed towards a youth market, for so called “rogue operators” and by was appearing in specific hotspot abolishing the normally permitted micro-districts in many centres in the closing time. evening and towards the early hours of the morning. In Manchester for Eight: a new realism? example, one of the first to embrace It became clear during the passage of the 24-hour vision, violent crime had the legislation that the 2003 Act was risen by 250% in the twelve months tightly drawn and so inevitably had leading up to 2000 with incidents limitations. In particular, the ministerial peaking at around 2.30am in areas guidelines were seen by many to be with clusters of late-night pubs, clubs tilted in favour of the industry. The and transport hubs. Against this Minister wrote to local authorities in background the Chief Constable had September 2005 to clarify that there grave doubts about the city’s ability to was not an inbuilt presumption in host the Commonwealth Games. favour of granting longer hours and that residents’ views were important. Seven: the 2003 Licensing Act On the day the Act became law the This has had a catalytic effect on the process of reviewing the guidelines debate. The process got under way in began. 2001, before widespread public disquiet mounted, with the White The dire forecasts of many in the Paper; Time for Reformvi. The mood media and elsewhere have not been was one of further deregulation. The borne out in practice. Most licensed notorious election slogan in 2001 “If premises chose to open just an hour you don’t give a XXXX for last orders or so later during the week and a bit vote Labour” was a particularly longer at the weekend and on special colourful example and was later occasions. The outside broadcasting described by Secretary of State Tessa units poised on many street corners, Jowell as “not Millbank’s finest hour”! ready to record the predicted scenes The Act that followed repealed of mayhem the day the Licensing Act previous licensing laws, placed 2003 came into force, mostly went responsibility for liquor licensing with home early – disappointed! local authorities rather than magistrates, and set four clear The Act should be seen in the context objectives: of a whole raft of government provisions to address public health, The prevention of crime and self-regulation by the industry, tougher disorder policing, area management, noise Public safety control and town planning. However The prevention of public nuisance, the incremental development of policy and in this area has made it difficult for The protection of children from policymakers to articulate an harm. integrated approach.

10 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Town Centres for All

1.3 How big? drinkers in Europe yet, but there is a steep upward trend.

The alcoholic drinks market is valued There are indications that social at more than £30bn per annum with cohesion and civic responsibility are about one million jobs estimated to be also at risk with many people unwilling linked to it. There are around 110,000 or afraid to venture out at night for fear on-licence premises in England and of encountering physical violence and Wales, an increase of 30% over the intimidation, or because of a lack of last 25 years. Pubs and bars acceptable places to go, or simply employed 518,000 people in 2004. because there is no way of getting The industry estimates that the there and back safely. Against this average club or restaurant contributes backcloth merely treating the obvious more than £100,000 to the local and prominent deficiencies is not vii economy each year. enough. Something more fundamental has to change. 1.4 Counting the cost 1.5 How can diversity help? In the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England, the Prime The vision for the evening and night- viii Minister’s Strategy Unit stated that time economy by pioneers such as alcohol-related harm is costing the Franco Bianchini was one of nation around £20bn a year and that conviviality, street culture, a balanced some of the problems are getting mix of activities, open to all. The reality worse. The cost is made up of has turned out differently. How can violence and accidents, admissions to vision and reality be brought closer hospital, working days lost, premature together? This is what we set out to deaths and suicides, antisocial discover. We set out three behaviour and fear of crime. imperatives to make this happen:

The misuse of alcohol is, of course, Regaining control not the only substance abuse problem A positive vision for the future and connected with changes in nightlife. A Integrated management and wide range of surveys published delivery. between 1996 and 2000 found that people who go clubbing tend to use The first of these is understandably illegal drugs more often and in higher uppermost in most peoples’ minds. quantities than their peers. But in the longer term the others are important too, perhaps more so. We The health impacts are perhaps the need to have something better to aim most telling, but have received for. According to Government surprisingly little attention in an policymakers this involves creating increasingly health-conscious nation. more variety and choice for all and The trends look worrying. According to making town and city centres ix the NHS Information Centre , hospital accessible and enjoyable for a wider admissions for alcoholic liver disease cross-section of society - including have more than doubled in a decade those who do not go out now, or who and have now reached record levels. are too afraid to do so. Death rates increased by 37% 1994- 2004. The average amount of alcohol consumed by secondary school children aged 11-15 doubled 1990- 2000. We may not be the biggest

11 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Town Centres for All

“The diversification of town-centre “The evening economy depends on activities is the most important aspect in attracting a more diverse range of people the longer term, although the immediate through a wider range of activities. Where (aspect) is managing behaviour of users that has happened it has been successful, in town centres.” for example in Oberhausen, Middlesbrough’s twin town. This town Peter Matthew, Head of Liveability, shares a similar historical background DCLG with Middlesbrough, i.e. it has lost its basic industries and has had to reinvent itself.” In the Government’s most recent planning advice for town centres Les Southerton, Chief Executive, (PPS6)x local authorities are urged to Middlesbrough Town Centre Company plan for

It is harder to find much solid evidence “a range of complementary evening and night-time economy uses which appeal to that diversity “works”. This evidence a wide range of age and social groups, will be necessary if stakeholders are to ensuring provision is made where be persuaded and resources appropriate for a range of leisure, cultural calibrated and committed. We have and tourism activities, such as cinemas, looked at what there is. theatres, restaurants public houses, bars nightclubs and cafés.” A study by UK academics compared the evening economies of Swansea Behind this lie a number of and Cardiffxi. They found that the most assumptions: avoided places in the evening were the least diverse spaces. This was More people would use town centres either because there was little or no at night if they were safer, more evening activity at all, making them accessible and if there was more threatening, or because there were so choice many of the same type of pub, bar and A more diverse range of consumer nightclub, that people avoided them types and ages would improve the due to fear of violence or harassment. atmosphere of town centres at night and possibly inhibit or restrain the US academic Richard Florida, who antisocial behaviour of minority groups has examined what attracts and retains creative communities in cities, A wider range of attractions and found that the diversity of people and clientele would make centres more uses is a key elementxii: sustainable.

Our research shows that there is a “Nightlife is an important part of the mix. consensus amongst both practitioners The people I talked to desired nightlife and policymakers that a balance, or with a wide mix of options. The most highly valued options were experiential diversity, of town-centre land uses and ones – interesting music venues, users will make centres safer and neighbourhood art galleries, performance more attractive. This may partly be a spaces and theatres. A vibrant nightlife reaction against the perceived current was viewed by many as another signal reality – a corporate domination of that a city “gets it” even by those who town centres by a handful of players, infrequently partake in nightlife.” the alcohol-fuelled mono-culture of the evening economy and the commercialisation of the public realm. But it is also a vision of the future that is widely shared.

12 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Town Centres for All

We offer the following definition of diversity - or “town centres for all” as a iii DCLG - Planning Policy Statement 6 – starting point: Planning for town centres http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id= 1501955 An accessible and balanced mix of iv activities, entertainments and services Urban Task Force report 1999 that meets the aspirations of residents www.urbantaskforce.org v Urban White Paper 2000 Our Towns and and visitors and ensures the long-term Cities: The Future viability of the centre. http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id= 1127168 vi 1.6 In ten years’ time? DCMS - Time for Reform, White Paper http://www.culture.gov.uk/Reference_library/P ublications/archive_2001/time_for_reform.htm A wider range of people and things to vii British Institute of Innkeeping presentation do is the goal – according to our at Civic Trust conference www.bii.org research. There is a widespread belief viii Prime Ministers Strategy Unit – Alcohol that this will make town centres more Harm Reduction Strategy “liveable” during the evening. Most http://www.strategy.gov.uk/work_areas/alcoho l_misuse/index.asp policymakers and practitioners we ix interviewed felt that in ten years’ time http://www.ic.nhs.uk/ x DCLG - Planning Policy Statement 6 – our evening economies will have Planning for town centres improved. There is a belief that http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id= alcohol-related disorder will have 1501955 decreased, although it will still be xi Bromley, R.D.F. Thomas, C.J. and Millie, A. prevalent. They believed that there will Safety concerns in the night-time city centre: be a more diverse range of premises Revitalising the evening economy in Swansea operating slightly later than at present and Cardiff, Town Planning Review, (1999) xii and some towns will be better at Florida R– The rise of the creative class and marketing themselves and how it’s transforming work, leisure, understanding their true potential. community and everyday life (Hardcover 2002) Powerful and creative solutions will slowly emerge to provide greater balance, but only if local authorities grasp these opportunities. But we have found a concern too that a few lead town centres may flourish whilst others wither and are left behind.

Our recommendations challenge all in the business of making our town centres great places to be at night not to accept “more of the same”, or settle for “just a little bit better”, but to espouse a radical concept – that night and day town centres should become places where all can go, responsibly, and in safety, convenience and enjoyment.

ihttp://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts2003/2003 0017.htm ii Bianchini F and Landry C - Out of Hours: The study of economic, social and cultural life in twelve cities in the UK (Hardcover – 1991)

13 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All The 5 to 9 Centre Today

2. THE 5 TO 9 CENTRE TODAY

Manchester City Centre at night (Photo: Manchester City Council)

students and revellers from nearby 2.1 Snapshots of urban nightlife towns and cities. This busy and diverse nightlife is one of the city’s Urban nightlife is a fast-moving mix of main selling points for visitors and activities, often closely related to potential residents. At weekends evolving fashions in the predominantly especially, the city attracts crowds of youth-oriented culture. Destinations mainly young people from the rise and fall in popularity and may surrounding area into the city centre to consist of a street, a square or a visit its pubs and clubs. cluster of attractions. We describe below six contrasting destinations. The regeneration programme that followed the IRA bomb in 1996 stimulated a wave of new investment 1. Manchester: and activity. The city now boasts a Something for everyone? wide variety of attractions; from big pubs aimed at 18 to 30 year-olds to This major former-industrial city centre theatres, large nightclubs, cinemas, has a varied range of attractions well restaurants, late shopping and niche beyond the size and scope of other venues - such as small pubs and centres. The concept of the 24-hour music venues. There is a vibrant gay economy was seized upon initially as quarter with restaurants, clubs and a way of combating the negative bars. Nearby, China Town has effects of major economic change. restaurants that remain open late into the night. The city also has a strong Manchester is a vibrant city centre that reputation for live music and for attracts residents and families, supporting new club nights. This draws visitors from across the region and further afield. The city has led the way

14 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All The 5 to 9 Centre Today in responding positively and 3. The Mailbox, Birmingham: imaginatively to problems of alcohol- Upmarket and aspirational related disorder associated with the rapid growth in nightlife - particularly at Increasingly, new town-centre weekends. Together with later developments are relying on evening shopping hours and special family- and night-time attractions, often as friendly events, this means that a part of a mix of uses, to keep the wider range of people now use the city developments working longer and to late into the evening. attract a more diverse clientele.

2. Shoreditch, London: The Mailbox is a recent mixed-use Fashionable and edgy development in a converted industrial

building beside the canal. The Many run-down inner-city development is made up of shops, neighbourhoods like Shoreditch have bars, restaurants, offices and sprung back to life using nightlife as a apartments. Shops and services are spur to growth. open until 7pm and are aimed firmly at wealthier visitors - selling luxury goods Shoreditch, a formerly working class such as designer clothes, flowers and part of London on the edge of the main jewellery. The development also financial district, was initially colonised includes many quiet restaurants and in the early 1990’s by artists and new sophisticated cocktail bars, open until media professionals who were about midnight. These venues are attracted by cheap studio space and mainly upmarket chains, aimed at a live/work flats. Bars and restaurants relatively wealthy and aspirational soon followed. The area is now market, including families and older characterised by independent bars, visitors. restaurants and nightclubs. The area is fashionable and “edgy”. Lower rents Strong management, secure parking, and an adventurous target audience private security, good lighting, tidy and allow bars and clubs to experiment permeable public spaces - all make with innovative new formats. Visitors the Mailbox a very appealing place to to Shoreditch are attracted by live socialise in at night. Although some music venues, innovative club nights, local residents, especially those under fashionable bars, independent shops 35, feel the development is expensive and art galleries. and bland, it nevertheless provides an alternative to the city’s main The relatively high crime rates, lack of entertainment street and appeals to services and inadequate late-night those who want a different, quieter transport links do not seem to affect night out. the area’s appeal, particularly to younger consumers. It does not attract 4. Xscape, Milton Keynes: many families or older visitors A mega family attraction however. Many of those who go out tend to live nearby, or are perhaps The pull of edge-of-town and out-of- willing to trade off these disadvantages town centres is as strong in the leisure in return for an individual night-time sector as in shopping. Activities experience. Shoreditch tends to requiring large spaces can be remain busy throughout the week, accommodated more easily in large rather than just at the weekend, industrial-style sheds away from the because of its special ambience and town and city centres. because many of its customers have jobs that do not conform to the Monday to Friday stereotype.

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Xscape is a purpose built, edge-of- The Town Centre contains over 100 town leisure complex. The main licensed premises, from large chains emphasis of the venue is on sports to traditional pubs. It has such a large and leisure with activities such as rock concentration of licensed premises climbing, skiing and ten pin bowling. that “happy hours” and other These are supplemented by a promotions are fairly frequent. The multiplex cinema and a programme of majority of the bars and clubs are special events. There are shops, open until 2 am. There are also four mainly selling sports equipment, nightclubs in the town. holidays, electronic goods and clothing and a range of restaurants and bars. Reading has a very strong Friday and Most of the restaurants are family- Saturday night culture. Workers from friendly venues. Similarly the bars are the surrounding offices are drawn to affordable mainstream chains that the centre for a drink on a Friday night appeal to a wider market. after work. Saturday tends to attract a slightly younger crowd, often from Xscape is open from 6am. Whilst most smaller surrounding towns and shops close at 8pm and restaurants at villages. The majority of restaurants 11pm, many of the sports facilities and and bars in the town centre are chains the onsite nightclub stay open until that cater largely to the under 30s. 2am. The broad range of activities Facilities for families or those seeking available, the affordability of many of non alcohol-based entertainment are the bars and restaurants and services mainly limited to shopping or the such as secure, free car parking mean cinema. Nightlife catering to more that this development is very attractive alternative tastes is limited to one or to family groups. Furthermore, as the two well attended venues. venue is well supervised, parents can let their children take part in leisure In common with many other centres, activities whilst they go for a drink. Reading has its share of management The provision of non alcohol-based issues at night. There have been entertainment open late into the night some effective management strategies means that the venue is also very for coping with the problems, but the attractive to young adults (e.g. 14-18) dominance of the town centre by and those who do not drink. inebriated young people, the associated disorder and the lack of local late-night transport – all combine 5. Reading: to limit the appeal of the town centre to High-tech and highballs young families and older people at

night. Reading is now one of the top ten

retail destinations in the UK, drawing There is more than eating, drinking people from across the region, and shopping however. Reading also especially at the weekend. Many of has an arts and concert hall, attracting the shops stay open until 8pm. well-known musicians. There are two large and internationally respected Reading is within easy commuting music festivals in the summer. These range of London and other smaller draw different types of people to the centres. There has been significant city centre at night for a few weeks economic growth in Reading, notably during the season. linked to a number of major high- technology firms. There has also been considerable retail development, including the well known Oracle Centre.

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entertainments, such as tea dances 6. Blackpool: and theatre shows, still attract older Reinventing the seaside “party visitors, but the increasing problems town” with rowdiness and disorder from stag

and hen parties can deter older people Blackpool is by far the largest seaside and families from using the town visitor destination in the country. As centre at night. with other popular seaside holiday towns, the evening and night-time economy is a major part of the 2.2 What town centres offer attraction. today: local authority survey

The resort’s attractions are well We carried out a survey of local known: the illuminations, pleasure authorities to find out what services beach, tea dances, theatres, shows, are currently provided in town centres old-fashioned music hall, end-of-the- from 5pm to 6am. We wanted a picture pier entertainment and amusement of how town centres look at night and arcades. The traditional clientele are who is using them. families and groups of friends looking for a cheap and cheerful family holiday We took as our starting point i with something to keep everyone Government policy set out in PPS6 entertained. which encourages local authorities to prepare planning policies that should: Increasingly now people come on weekend breaks, attracted just as “encourage a range of complementary much by the large strips of pubs and evening and night-time economy uses nightclubs as by the seaside. which appeal to a wide range of age Blackpool has developed a reputation and social groups”. for being a party town - combining large numbers of “vertical drinking” The underlying hypothesis is that a venues, clubs that mainly provide more varied pattern of overlapping “retro-themed” music and dance activities and attractions involving a nights, adult entertainment clubs and more diverse range of participants is four casinos. Blackpool is very popular likely to be better for public order, for with parties of young holidaymakers, sustaining essential public services often on stag and hen nights. These and for the long term viability of the parties can cause tension in the town centre. as many feel these rowdy groups are ruining the centre for families and The survey helped us to build up a residents. A more recent development national picture under four main in the town is a growing gay and headings: lesbian scene. The town has a significant number of gay and lesbian 1. Times of use bars and a very popular transvestite revue show. There are several bed 5pm to 8pm and breakfast establishments that 8pm to11pm cater for gay visitors. 11pm to 3am 3am to 6am Some venues close down for the winter season, but the wide range of shops and the party reputation of the town mean that it still attracts families and groups of young people from the surrounding towns for nights out throughout the year. Traditional

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2. Range of private leisure and 8pm. However, in most areas this was other attractions because of late-night shopping events rather than longer regular hours. Shopping Food shops Late-night attractions are Other shops dominated by eating and drinking. Bars, pubs and restaurants were the Eating and drinking only facilities available in all areas until Restaurants at least 11pm. Many areas had bars Takeaways and restaurants open until 3am. This Bars and pubs underlines the fact that the main economic activity in town and city Music and dancing centres after 5pm is eating and Nightclubs drinking.

3. Cultural and leisure services Takeaways are open late. Some are open 24hrs. A large proportion of Museums and galleries areas reported that takeaways were Libraries and leisure centres available until 3am. A small number Cinemas possessed 24-hour takeaways. Theatres Surprisingly, some town centres did Education facilities not have any takeaways open after 5pm. 4. Infrastructure and amenity Nightclubs are open all night long Public transport in major centres. Most areas had Public toilets nightclubs open until 3am, even in the Town-centre smaller, more rural centres. However, management/wardens it was only large cities that reported nightclubs open until 6am. The fact 2.2.1 What’s open and what’s that some areas had nightclubs open not? from as early as 5pm may point towards a growth in hybrid

bar/nightclubs and a blurring of the The results generally paint a picture of traditional boundaries between a limited range of activities, with few of venues. This is a trend that could be the normal public services available encouraged by the provision for more after 8pm. We summarise below the flexible opening hours contained in the main findings of the survey. 2003 Licensing Act.

Food shops are opening later at Cinemas and theatres are by far the night. A large number of respondents most widely available cultural reported food shops open in their facilities. Many centres had theatres areas until at least 11pm. In many open until 11pm and cinemas towns this was explained by the available as late as 3am. This is growth of late opening or 24-hour unsurprising as cinema attendance supermarkets. Some respondents has doubled in recent years and a noted that late-night food shopping is multiplex is a feature of many large often represented by a single, named and medium sized town centres. supermarket.

Most museums and art galleries are More non-food shops are staying closed. Museums and art galleries open in the evening, if only were the least frequently available occasionally. Many town centres had facility in all areas open in the evening. non-food shops open until at least

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This is unsurprising as many available, with over half the areas museums and galleries lack the surveyed having some form of resources to fund extra opening hours. education facility open until 8pm. However, one city in the Midlands reported that they kept their cathedral Private gyms and leisure centres open to visitors until 8pm. A very few are open until 11pm. Several cities had museums and galleries respondents pointed out that the gyms open until 11pm. that remained open later were usually private health clubs, rather than local Few public libraries open late. In authority-run leisure centres. This many areas public libraries shut at confirms that the demand for such 5pm. This may be due to a facilities later in the evening is often combination of lack of funds and lack being met by the private sector rather of demand. However, educational than local authorities. facilities were much more widely

Survey Results

5pm 8pm 11pm 3am Not Attractions and Facilities to to to to available 8pm 11pm 3am 6am Food shops 93% 73% 23% 20% 6% Other shops 70% 23% 7% 3% 30% Restaurants 100% 100% 60% 3% 0% Takeaways 93% 93% 93% 13% 6% Bars and pubs 100% 100% 76% 6% 0% Nightclubs 50% 90% 96% 16% 3% Museums 23% 6% 0% 0% 76% Galleries 16% 3% 0% 0% 83% Public library 63% 6% 0% 0% 37% Cinema 80% 80% 27% 0% 20% Theatre 67% 70% 0% 0% 33% Leisure centre/gym 87% 73% 0% 0% 13% Educational facilities 53% 26% 0% 0% 46% Public toilets 67% 30% 20% 17% 33% Buses 86% 83% 46% 26% 10% Taxis 96% 96% 93% 66% 3% Town-centre 46% 30% 10% 0% 50% wardens/managers

Other (please state) 10% 3% 6% 0% 0%

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2.2.2 What still works after London had responded to the issue hours? through partnerships of one kind or another with the private sector - often to address the immediate needs of Few public toilets are open after particular groups. For example, one 8 pm. The availability of public toilets city had a 24-hour bus service was very poor. In most areas the provided by the local university, service was very limited after 8pm. primarily intended to ensure that its This may well be largely the result of students reached home safely. Many limited funds, but security is also an of the respondents were not transport important issue. Many respondents authorities and therefore had little or pointed out the problems associated no direct control over the standard of with drug dealing and other crimes. public transport available in their town Some felt that it was preferable to lock centres. the toilets and deal with the resulting urination on the street, rather than Plentiful taxis. In contrast, almost all have to cope with the potential crimes respondents reported that their town that could occur in public toilets late at centres were served by private taxi night. services 24 hours a day. However, in smaller areas, it was clear that these Town-centre wardens and services responded only to specific managers were employed after demand, often having to be booked in hours in just half the areas. 46% of advance by telephone rather than areas had staff working until 8pm and hailed in the street or at a taxi rank. 30% until 11pm. But these were often street wardens, who were mainly responsible for dealing with specific 2.2.3 Concern about alcohol issues, such as cleansing or law and domination order, rather than a more comprehensive town-centre There is strong concern about management function. alcohol and youth domination. Most respondents (76%) were Transport. Buses are best in concerned or seriously concerned London. As would be expected all about the domination of youth- respondents from the Greater London oriented, alcohol-related entertainment boroughs reported that their areas in their town centres at night. This were served by regular 24-hour bus concern was shared by local services. Unlike the rest of England, authorities right across the country. Greater London benefits from an Interestingly, authorities with facilities integrated and heavily subsidised such as theatres, cinemas and other public transport system run by a single cultural facilities open later at night transport authority (Transport for expressed just as much, or even more, London). This makes the provision of concern as those areas that had little 24-hour public transport easier. Also, available in their town centres beyond the relatively high population density of eating and drinking. Greater London makes it a more viable proposition. Some areas outside

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Barriers to going out at night

Barriers to 1 2 3 4 5 Participation Least Most significant significant

Fear of 10% 3% 20% 23% 23% crime/disorder Lack of transport 6% 16% 26% 20% 6% Poor amenities (e.g. 16% 13% 36% 10% 0% lighting, toilets) Lack of choice in restaurants, bars, 23% 28% 10% 10% 6% pubs and nightclubs Lack of family friendly 3% 13% 16% 23% 13% venues Other (please state) 0% 0% 3% 0% 6%

2.2.4 Barriers to going out series of 20 focus groups in five very different areas of the country:

We were also keen to find out what A recently regenerated town centre local authorities saw as the major in outer London barriers preventing people from participating in the evening and night A “re-branded” former mining town economies. A south-west town with major corporate office employment Fear of crime and disorder was identified by the majority of local An historic university city authorities as the most significant barrier to wider participation. This was A former industrial city undergoing followed by lack of transport at night, a extensive regeneration. lack of family-friendly venues and poor amenities such as toilets and street Focus groups were drawn from a lighting. The least significant, range of non-participants, including: according to local authorities surveyed, was the lack of choice in Young full-time workers restaurants, pubs and nightclubs. Parents and carers of children

2.2.5 Focus group Residents groups (mainly over 40) perceptions/experience of town centres today A group specially selected for each location.

In a separate survey, we spoke to These groups were questioned on those who did not regularly use town their attitudes to going out, issues that centres at night, to find out what prevented them from leaving home prevented them from going out. The and what made a good night out for University of Westminster conducted a them.

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2.3 Common barriers to going 2.3.2 Policing, safety and out at night security

From the focus groups, five key This was another key issue raised by barriers that prevented interviewees everyone that took part in the focus from using their town centres at night groups. Whilst concerns about safety were identified. These were: prevented some people from going out at night, it did not deter others, Transport particularly younger people and men. Policing, safety and security But it was still a preoccupation. Style and type of venue Childcare Attitude and aggression in venues Cost and on the streets was a big issue. People commented on experiencing 2.3.1 Transport an aggressive atmosphere or the threat of violence at busy points such as taxi queues, busy bars and queues The problems of late-night transport for clubs. Some people commented dominated many of the discussions on the generally threatening about barriers to going out. atmosphere caused by drunks.

Taxis were regarded by many people as too expensive. People also “If you bumped into someone they’d probably threaten to turn around and stab frequently expressed concern about you.” violence in taxi queues and lengthy waits for cabs. Office town, young worker

“If I ever do catch taxis, I feel like I’ve Youth was another recurring theme. been cheated. They rip you off.” Many people worried about the

threatening presence of large gangs of University town, resident youths behaving in an aggressive and unruly manner. This problem was Night bus services, where available, experienced in the more family- were universally regarded as unsafe orientated leisure centres as well in and unreliable. Many female the town centre. respondents simply did not use buses late at night. Policing and CCTV were common concerns. For many people the lack of “I wouldn’t get the night bus. If anything a police presence at night was a happens there’s nowhere you can go, is serious issue. There were also doubts there?” about the effectiveness of CCTV.

Industrial city, young worker “I’m glad they’re [CCTV cameras] there but it’s not going to stop you getting Car drivers complained that car parks attacked is it? Some bloke in a room with were badly lit and unsafe at night. loads of monitors is going to go, ‘Oh Expensive parking charges were also yeah, there’s a girl down there being criticised. beaten up’.”

Walking. Many people who lived in or Office town, young worker near town centres would walk, but they were very concerned about badly-lit streets and would walk out of their way to avoid confrontations.

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Violence and the threat of violence nature of the music and entertainment were widely discussed. Whilst some offered by these venues also came in men in the groups appeared for criticism. unconcerned by this or simply stated that they took care to avoid trouble, “You’re dealing with one chain and they women, particularly those who went have everything - all the night-time out infrequently, took the threat of economy apart from one bar. They’ll take violence very seriously. Many people your money when you eat, take your talked not only about perceptions of money when you’re drunk, take your violence and crime but also about their money when you dance.” personal experiences. Office town, young worker “My daughter was mugged on the top deck of a bus last year and one of these Fast food restaurants were girls said, 'I’m going to cut your throat”.” numerous in all locations, but many people complained about the lack of Outer London borough, parent choice in restaurants.

A common complaint was that door Noise and over-crowding was the security staff at venues did little or biggest complaint. All participants nothing to prevent disorder and in commented that almost all pubs and some towns participants observed that bars in their area were too noisy and some door staff actually exacerbated crowded. All age groups expressed violent situations. an interest in having quieter venues where they could sit down and talk to friends. 2.3.3 Style and type of venue “I much prefer to be able to sit down and The common theme that emerged chat when I go out. I don’t want to hear from all areas and from all groups is blaring music in my ear and get knocked that currently most venues at night are over. No matter where you stand you get not providing what people want. There pushed over and shoved and get drinks were also very strong complaints splattered all over you. I’m not into that.” about the corporate nature and ‘samey-ness’ of most night-time Mining town, young worker venues. Feeling out of place. Many people Younger people expressed an did not go out as they often felt that interest is having quieter and cheaper existing venues only catered for the venues where they could go to for a very young (18 to 22 years-old). This quiet drink during the week. They saw view was even held by young workers this as a very different type of venue who felt that once they reached their from the louder bars they would mid twenties, they no longer wanted to frequent at the weekends. go to the type of large chain pubs with loud commercial dance music that Arts and theatre venues were mainly make up many high streets at night. used and appreciated by older residents. However, even those who Also many people felt that venues did use arts facilities complained about associated with a traditional “big night the lack of information about events out” were very much orientated and shows. towards finding a sexual partner. Once they had settled down they no longer Chain pubs and bars were criticised felt there was any reason to go out. by all participants as boring, repetitive and expensive. The homogeneous

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“I’m not single and I’m not in any other many people felt that when all of these way on the pull. Why would I go out on a expenses were added together cold, wet evening? To see what? To do suddenly an evening out became what?” something that was difficult to afford. For parents, costs were even greater Young worker, office town once they had added in babysitter fees or the cost of attractions for children. Child-friendly venues were very much in demand amongst the focus “If you’re going out in your car, you’ve got group members. Parents complained your petrol to go out, £5 something for that there were very few venues that your parking. If you’ve not got your family positively welcomed families. looking after them you’ve got the babysitter and they’re now £10. Then of course you need money to take with you “People look at you as if on a Friday night to go out.” midsummer, you shouldn’t be out with your children” Mining town, parent

Outer London borough, parent Large chain pubs and bars came in

for a lot of criticism. Many people felt 2.3.4 Childcare these venues charged too much money, their owners only cared about Lack of suitable childcare was a huge profits and the nightlife in their area factor in restricting parents in the use often suffered as a result. Some older of their town centres at night. residents saw the councils as colluding Childcare outside the family unit was in this by attempting “regeneration on regarded as too expensive and many the cheap”. people were reluctant to leave children with strangers. “The town centre in the last thirty years has changed in a big way. The council is deliberately going for this younger age “If I’m going out my partner will have group. What it does is exclude family them, or my mum or sisters. It’s always groups [and] us older people.” family. I won’t leave them with anyone

else ’cos I know they’ll look after them Resident, industrial city better.”

Mining town, parent The cost of alcohol was generally an issue for people. Many people Also many parents expressed a desire admitted drinking at home before they to take their children with them when went out or starting their evenings at they went out in order to spend their bars with cheap drinks or special leisure time with them. offers. They did this even while acknowledging that the possibility of violence was greater in these venues. 2.3.5 Cost

“You’ve got to be a bit careful sometimes. Cost was raised as a significant barrier Certain places that a certain kind of to going out more frequently at night. people go into, there is a risk that something could happen. They could be The entire cost of an evening was carrying guns and things and it’s commented on. Although individual frightening when you think you might not parts of the evening such as food, get home in the morning.” drinks and transport were not considered particularly expensive, Outer London borough, young worker

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Town centres – not performing? Our 84% of respondents regularly went research team initially thought issues out on a Saturday night, with 70% such as transport, safety and security staying out until midnight and would dominate, but it soon became beyond. clear that for many people the nature of what town centres offer was of Weeknights and Sundays were equal importance. This research much less popular nights for going out shows that town centres are clearly and those that did go out then went not performing at night for a large home much earlier. Less than 5% section of society. This is not just in regularly socialised after midnight on a terms of safety and attractiveness. weekday or Sunday night. The only People also feel that what is currently exception was Thursday night. This on offer is either too expensive or not had a higher number of people going catering for any of their desires or out than other weekdays (41%), with interests. This contrasts with the 11% of these people staying out results from our local authority survey beyond midnight. This may indicate where respondents did not regard the that many people now regard lack of choice in venues and Thursday nights as an extension of the destinations as a barrier to people weekend. using town centres at night. Home by 2am for most. It is 2.4 Perceptions of 18 to 35s: interesting to note that even at the electronic and postal survey weekend the latest most people stayed out was 2am. This is despite the abolition of terminal drinking hours It is widely recognised that town in November 2005. As this survey centres in the evening and at night was carried out over December 2005 - time have become more or less February 2006 it may have been too dominated by the youth market in the soon for new licensing hours to have last decade or so. We wanted to find affected the opening hours of venues out how this group saw things, how and the going-out habits of they used town centres at night, what respondents. their concerns are and whether they are really satisfied with what is on offer. We carried out an email and postal survey of people aged 18 to35 2.4.2 What you do who went out at night twice a week or more. The survey asked their current Unsurprisingly, the major activity for 18 going out habits, what they did and to 35s is alcohol-based socialising, what issues concerned them. mainly at the weekends. There are, however some different patterns 2.4.1 When you go out related to the frequency of going out. A social calendar could be made up of a spread of activities on a weekly, Fridays and Saturdays are the most monthly or occasional cycle. popular. Whilst many survey respondents went out at least three or four times a week, Friday and Saturday nights were identified as by far the most popular:

72% of respondents regularly went out on a Friday night, with 53% staying out until midnight and beyond

25 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All The 5 to 9 Centre Today

18 to 35s: what you do

Weekly Monthly Occasionally Never

Go to pubs/bars 73% 14% 7% 5%

Go to nightclubs 18% 23% 37% 20%

Go to the cinema 11% 41% 36% 9%

Go to rock/pop gigs 1% 10% 55% 32% Go to classical music/jazz 0% 2% 22% 75% concerts Eat out 43% 33% 19% 3%

Go shopping 34% 24% 16% 23%

Visit museums/galleries 2% 11% 42% 44% Go to theatre/comedy 3% 8% 62% 26% performances Play/watch sport 29% 9% 16% 45%

Attend education classes 13% 3% 28% 55%

Other 4% 2% 1% 0%

Weekly. The most popular weekly travelling to a larger town. Visiting activity was going to pubs and bars museums and galleries was also with 73% of respondents visiting pubs popular (42%). and bars at least once a week, followed by eating out (43%), shopping Never – (well, hardly ever). Classical (34%) and playing or watching sport music and jazz concerts were the least (29%). Only 18% went to nightclubs popular activity, with well over half the every week. respondents (73%) saying they never attended any classical or jazz music Monthly. The most popular monthly event. This may be partly a matter of activity was going to the cinema with availability and price, but also taste. 41% of respondents saying they went Many of the same respondents to the pictures at least once a month. regularly attended pop and rock This was followed by eating out (33%) events. This was followed by and then shopping (24%). 23% went to education classes with 55% of people nightclubs at least once a month. never attending education classes in the evenings. Not far behind were Occasionally. The most popular visiting museums and galleries (44%) occasional activity (defined as less and playing/watching sport (45%) than every three months) was However, some respondents pointed attending theatre and comedy out that they never took part in performances (62%), followed by rock activities such as shopping or visiting and pop gigs (55%). These activities museums due to the lack of availability were popular, but less frequently in their area. attended, largely because of their cost, but also because they need more planning, including in many cases

26 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All The 5 to 9 Centre Today

2.4.3 What influences your Lack of policing choice? Bad lighting Poor facilities Lack of childcare/family friendly The survey identified the principal venues issues that influenced their choice of venue or area in which to spend an Public transport is the chief evening. concern. As with our findings in the focus group research, public transport Most important issues is the primary concern for this age group and is the most likely factor in How well-managed venues are preventing them from using the town How easy they are to get home centre. For some people it influenced from decisions on where they went, how The type of people that go there late they stayed out and how much money they spent. Least important issues

Drinks offers / “happy hours” “Getting home is by far and away the Dress code worst thing. It actively puts me off going into the city centre.” How fashionable the venue is

Male, 32 Good management and transport were very important concerns when “The lack of public transport is mainly the choosing where to socialise. The reason for not going out sometimes, or it majority of people surveyed said that is a large factor in the decision. “ getting home safely was a very important factor when deciding where Female, 21 to go. The importance of a well- managed night out is shown in the Crime and disorder are also causes next two factors – good management of concern to most participants. To of venues and the type of clientele. many it is not so much a barrier to Some respondents claimed they going out, but it is a significant cause avoided certain venues due to the of concern and worry. This concern types of people that went there. was echoed equally by men and women, although many female Perhaps surprisingly, one of the least respondents felt much more important factors for many people was vulnerable when out in exclusively drinks offers and “happy hours”. female groups or on their own. According to this result the many pubs and bars that slash drinks prices to attract customers from this age group “Fear of violence, attack and disorder are are doing so in vain. uppermost in my decision on whether to go out or not. It does not stop me, but detracts from the relaxation of an evening 2.4.4 Chief concerns or event.”

Male, 26 We were interested to see how concerned this age group was about “If I go out with my partner I know I am the following issues: totally secure, however if I am out with girlfriends I do worry about my security Transport when coming home.” Crime and disorder Drug dealing Female, 32 Fear of violence

27 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All The 5 to 9 Centre Today

Drug dealing and low level KEY POINTS environmental crime such a littering and street fouling were of little or no concern to most respondents. SNAPSHOTS OF URBAN NIGHTLIFE Unlike the focus groups, child-friendly venues and the lack of child care at Our snapshots show six night was not a great cause for contrasting destinations at varying concern. 72% of respondents declared stages of development and mostly themselves to be unconcerned about appealing to specific adult tastes. this issue. Only one, Xscape in Milton Keynes, could be described as family-oriented. Xscape is not in the town centre.

WHAT TOWN CENTRES OFFER TODAY

Our local authority survey shows that there is a growing range of commercially-operated venues available after hours in most places and that late-night attractions are dominated by eating and drinking.

Almost all activity is run by the private sector, with the public sector often failing to provide even the most basic of services such as public toilets or transport after 8pm.

Bars, pubs restaurants and takeaways are the only facilities open in all areas until at least 11pm.

Most areas had nightclubs open until 3am, even in smaller rural centres. In larger cities 6am was more common.

Food shops are now opening later – some until at least 11pm. Some non-food shops are beginning to extend their times until at least 8pm – if only occasionally.

Private gyms are open until 11pm, whilst local authority leisure centres are more likely to be

28 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All The 5 to 9 Centre Today

closed. not providing what people want.

Cinemas and, to a lesser extent 4. Childcare. Those with children theatres, are by far the most widely who wanted to go out felt inhibited available cultural facilities. Some by the lack of child-friendly venues cinemas are open as late as 3am. and difficulties in finding reliable baby-sitters. Most libraries, museums and art galleries are closed after hours. 5. Cost. The overall cost of an Education facilities are often evening out is a deterrent. Some available a little later - until 8pm. considered town centres to be over commercialised, driven and Taxis are plentiful after hours, but dominated by the profit motive. outside London a 24-hour bus service is a rarity. 18 to 35s 76% of local authorities in our survey said they were concerned Our survey of 18 to 35s, as might be about the domination of youth- expected, shows a higher level of oriented, alcohol-related satisfaction and participation. But entertainment. even with this dominant group there are strong concerns. Fear of crime and disorder was identified by local authorities as the For most 18 to 35 year-olds, eating principal barrier to a wider and drinking are the dominant participation in the evening and activities in the evening. 73% of night-time economies, followed by respondents visited pubs and bars lack of transport, lack of family- at least once a week. friendly venues and poor amenities. The most popular monthly activity is going to the cinema, followed by eating out and shopping. CONSUMER PERCEPTIONS The most popular occasional “Non-participants”. Our focus group activity is attending theatre or research with those who do not visit comedy performances, followed by their town centres regularly after hours rock or pop gigs. suggests that there are five main barriers to going out: The busiest times for town centres are Friday and Saturday nights. 1. Transport. A lack of affordable Despite the introduction of flexible and dependable public transport. hours in November 2005 many people still end their nights out at 2. Policing, safety and security. An 11pm. absence of visible policing and fears about violence and Lack of transport and fear of crime intimidation are significant issues for this age group. It may not stop them going 3. Style and type of venue. Many out, but it affects how and where felt excluded by the dominance of they socialise at night. brash, noisy and overcrowded venues. The impression gained is Choice of venues is influenced by that, currently, most venues are the quality of the management and

29 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All The 5 to 9 Centre Today

the type of people who go there.

The least important considerations, according to this survey, are drinks offers and “happy hours”.

i Department of Communities and Local Government - Planning Policy Statement 6 – Planning for town centres http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id= 1501955

30 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Inclusive Town Centres and Consumers of Tomorrow

3. INCLUSIVE TOWN CENTRES AND CONSUMERS OF TOMORROW

Al Fresco drinking in the West End of London (Photo: Hannah Mummery)

More choice in bars and pubs 3.1 What do we want?

Entertainment for children and We asked members of our focus families groups and participants in our 18 to 35s survey what they thought town Culture and events centres should be like in the future and what breadth of attractions and 3.1.2 More choice in bars and facilities should be available. In the pubs case of the focus group members, we were particularly interested to find out what changes would encourage them One of the overriding themes in all to go out more. interviews was the lack of choice in drinking venues in many town centres in the evening. The interviews threw 3.1.1 Focus group research of up a widespread dissatisfaction with non-participants chain bars and pubs and a desire for more relaxed and less commercially Focus group members offered a large driven venues. Even younger number of views and suggestions. The interviewees, who regularly went to results fell under three headings: large chain pubs and bars, expressed a desire for a different type of venue.

31 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Inclusive Town Centres and Consumers of Tomorrow

“I do enjoy going out for a night where you 3.1.3 Entertainment for children go and have a few drinks and and families be stupid, but you also want the nights where you can go out and have a few drinks and just sit and catch up with Whilst many parents felt strongly that people.” they should be able to take their children to pubs and bars they also Industrial city, young woman wanted to see more child-centred activities available in the evening.

Quieter venues were a huge priority. Supervised areas and shows were Young and old alike commented that very popular. Some parents spoke they would really like more venues approvingly of the approach adopted with seating and with food, where they by holiday centres such as Centre could just sit and chat to friends in a Parcs and Haven towards family friendly and relaxed environment. entertainment and wanted a similar provision in town centres. Neighbourhood pubs were missed. People often expressed nostalgia for Ice skating and other activities such old “local–style” pubs and were keen as “laser-quest” games were a popular to see an increase in the numbers of option for all participants. This was intimate local venues, where they seen as filling a gap for families who could become “regulars”. often had several children of various ages and who found it a struggle to “Wind-down” or “chill-out” venues find something to entertain everyone. were a very popular idea. Almost all participants said they wished they could begin or end their nights out in a “I would like an ice skating rink like they quieter venue where they could sit and have elsewhere, I’d enjoy that. It’s great to have a quiet drink. Many people saw do that with the family. It’s healthy, you go these as places where they could go in out there and the kids like it.” the early hours of the morning, University town, parent following a meal out, an evening at the cinema, or maybe after a nights clubbing. Family nights was an idea formulated by one group. These would be Family-friendly venues were a big evenings where businesses and public issue. Parents did not want places agencies would welcome families into that were specifically aimed at town centres in the evening and children. They preferred more adult provide children-centred venues; places where they could enjoy entertainment, or make their an alcoholic drink, but where they businesses more attractive for could also feel happy to take their children. children. Parents seemed to be calling for more “multi-activity” venues where Activities for teenagers. This was a children could be entertained whilst general area of concern. Many their parents could eat and drink participants felts that there should be nearby. more venues and activities that teenagers could enjoy without parental Café culture. Many participants made supervision, such as youth clubs. In reference to mainland Europe and all areas it was felt that there was were keen to see a more continental - currently little for teenagers to do at style café culture, where children were night except “hang around” and positively welcomed in bars and cafés indulge in underage drinking. until quite late at night.

32 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Inclusive Town Centres and Consumers of Tomorrow

“These children now, they haven’t got “An attractive town square which is well lit clubs and things to go to. We used to and clean, a café area around the square, have youth clubs and things like that to go perhaps a library or theatre and so on to, but everything’s been shut off.” nearby. That would be very much appreciated by us as a whole.” Industrial city, parent Mining town, resident

3.1.4 Culture and events A greater choice of films and more independent cinemas was a popular One-off arts events, free festivals, demand, especially amongst older lively pu b lic spaces and more varied residents, who were keen to have cinema were all popular. greater access to art-house films.

Free festivals, firework displays, 3.2 Perceptions of 18 – 35s: carnivals and Christmas lights email survey attracted a lot of enthusiastic support. It was felt that events such as these should be encouraged as they provide In our survey of regular users of the free evening activities that people of all evening economy, aged 18 to 35, we ages can enjoy. Some felt, however, wanted to find out if members of this that where their local authorities had age group were potentially receptive to arranged events and festivals they a more diverse evening economy. If were often badly publicised, over- more services and attractions were on subscribed or directed at tourists and offer, would they use them? visitors, rather than local people. Participants were given a list of non alcohol-based activities and services “The other thing is over Christmas, there and were asked how late they would wasn’t really anything “Christmassy” on. There wasn’t really any festival or event like these services and activities to be that was not alcohol-related - which available. would have been nice”. Their answers fall under five headings: Office town, resident Transport

Late opening of museums, galleries Shops and services and libraries was not really a priority issue for many people questioned, Eating out especially the 18 to 30 year-olds outside London. It was only in the Public venues outer London centre, where there is already late-night shopping in the Arts, culture and events West End and locally, that participants were receptive to the idea of libraries and other cultural activities opening “I would like places open that aren’t all later. about drinking.”

A more attractive pedestrian Male, 29 environment was called for by many of the residents’ groups. There was a strong desire to have more attractive public spaces where people could just

“be” in the evening.

33 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Inclusive Town Centres and Consumers of Tomorrow

18 to 35s: What would you like to see more of at night and how late would you use it?

6pm 8pm 11pm 1am 3am to to to to to 8pm 11pm 1am 3am 6am Food shops 85% 75% 39% 21% 9% Other shops 62% 35% 10% 6% 2% Doctors/dentists 61% 14% 4% 3% 2% Banks/post offices 61% 13% 3% 1% 0.5% Public transport 83% 81% 79% 63% 31% Libraries 32% 10% 1% 0.5% 0.5% Parks 33% 18% 2% 2% 2% Theatres 43% 38% 15% 2% 0% Museums/galleries 43% 30% 2% 0% 0% Music/art festivals 49% 44% 27% 9% 0% Outdoor events 47% 42% 19% 4% 0.5% Education classes 40% 20% 2% 1% 0.5% Cafés/restaurants 79% 73% 49% 12% 4% Sports clubs/leisure centres 49% 38% 5% 1% 0.5% Council services 30% 9% 3% 2% 2%

3.2.1 Transport 3.2.2 Shops and services

Public t r ansport was a big issue. There w a s strong support for services 83% of respondents regarded it as such as supermarkets, doctors, essential that this was available after dentists and banks to stay open until 6pm. A large number of respondents at least 8pm. This perhaps reflects a (63%) stated they would like public growth in longer working hours and transport to be available up to 3am. also a readiness by this age group to This desire is born out in the embrace more of a 24-hour working comments that show that many people and service culture. felt that their night out was cut short by poor public transport provision. The late opening of food shops is very important to this group. 85% of respondents wanted food shops to “A lack of public transport makes it hard to take advantage of late licensing in stay open up to 8pm. 39% stated they pubs/bars/music venues.” would use food shops up to 1am. There was also a minority of Female, 27 respondents who supported the idea of 24-hour food shopping. “Public transport needs to be available 24- hours in large cities and towns.” Late opening of other shops, such as clothes shops and music shops, was Male, 28 popular up until 8pm (62%). After this hour there was a significant drop in support with only 10% of respondents stating they would use non-food shops after 11pm. This appears to suggest that many people of this age group

34 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Inclusive Town Centres and Consumers of Tomorrow would be more likely to visit shops “If we had more café style bars open late, very late in the night for necessary people would have a choice and nightlife purchases, such as food, rather than would be less about drinking and more for leisure purposes. about socialising. “

Female, 26 “It would be good if there were more non – supermarket shops open after working hours. “ 3.2.4 Public venues Female, 22 Local authority services such as Doctors, dentists and banks were a libraries and education classes were very popular choice for later opening among the least popular choices, with with over half of all respondents very little support for these services wanting these services to be available opening after 8pm. until 8pm. Many participants commented on the difficulty of getting Sports and leisure centres were the to these services during the working most popular of council-provided day or at the weekend and strongly services with up to 38% stating they supported the idea of later evening would like these available until 11pm. opening. Many respondents regarded leisure centres as essential services that needed to be open later to fit in with “It would be great if shops and banks busier lifestyles. opened later in the morning and opened until 8pm, then you could use them after Later opening of parks and open work, rather than trying to cram everything spaces was not really something that in when you are a 9-5 worker.” many respondents were keen on. Female, 26 However some people suggested that parks and open spaces should be “Opticians, doctors and dentists etc. used more for evening and night-time should accommodate workers so closing events during the summer months. at 7pm would be better.”

Female, 31 “Something Liverpool did a few years ago was to erect a large screen in Chavasse Park to screen a free film. This is something I’d like to see more of, 3.2.3 Eating out especially in the summer.”

Restaurants and cafés were strongly Female, 25 supported with 79% of respondents wanting these to be open after 6pm. Libraries and adult education 49% said they would use cafés and services. There was modest support restaurants up to 1am. There was for these being available after 6pm. some support for cafés, particularly 32% of respondents said they would those that don’t serve alcohol, to be like these open until 8pm and 10% open later. This echoes the desire of until 11pm. Given the enthusiasm for the focus groups for more relaxed and other services such as banks and less alcohol-dominated venues to be shops, access to education services in open later at night. the evening is clearly less of a priority for most in this age group.

Other council services such as housing offices etc. were not very

35 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Inclusive Town Centres and Consumers of Tomorrow popular at all with this age group. Only “We need more organised events [in our a very small percentage was keen on town] I keep having to travel far for a having these services available after decent night out.” 8pm. Male, 24 3.2.5 Arts, culture and events 3.3 Conclusions There w a s significant support for cultural services such as museums Both those that go out frequently and and art galleries being open after 6pm. those that go out less often feel that Support was particularly strong from town centres should be different and respondents in Greater London, many better. The research shows that there of whom stated that they already is much common ground and that visited museums and galleries in the there are some basic improvements evening. As with parks, some people that would appeal to most consumers, saw participation in evening cultural if not quite a mass market. Within the events as a seasonal thing. fine grain of the responses there are

also matters of personal and minority “In the summer I probably spend a lot less choice and preferences that deserve time in bars and seek out more to be recognised if town centres are to interesting, day-to-evening activities like have a rounded appeal. festivals and arts events.”

Female, 23 The focus groups. In the future, eating and drinking will remain the dominant activity for most. However, Theatres, museums and art there is a wish for many more types galleries. 43% were keen to see and styles of venues than those theatres available until 8pm and 38% currently provided by the chains that wanted them open until at least 11pm. currently dominate many of our town Similarly just under half of all and city centres at night. They seem to respondents would like to see be calling for alternative or museums and art galleries open to the independent operators to bring greater public until 11pm. Unsurprisingly there choice, quieter venues, more food, was no support for any of these musical performances and different venues to be available after 1am. styles of music.

Festivals and outdoor events were There is a strong desire for a shift in more popular than traditional cultural the culture of most evening venues pursuits - especially seasonal ones. and for town centres to become much Many respondents claimed they would more child-friendly places. This would like to see more arts and music events involve new styles of venues where in the summer months. 27% of whole families could relax and enjoy respondents claimed they would themselves, as well as specific child- attend music and arts festivals up to centred activities and performances. 1am. Some respondents complained that their towns did not hold any such Another theme emerging from this events at all and would be very keen research is the desire for a more to see something organised. relaxed and less commercially- dominated evening economy, with affordable or free entertainment and events that appeal to all sections of the community.

36 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Inclusive Town Centres and Consumers of Tomorrow

18 to 35s. The “big three” services KEY POINTS that most 18 to 35 year-olds were keen to see available after 6pm are: We asked consumers in our focus Food shops – 85% groups and survey what they thought Public transport - 83% town centres should be like in the Cafés and restaurants - 79% future. If their wishes were met, town centres would look very different after However there is support from at least hours. Here are their priorities: 32% of respondents for all services and activities mentioned to be available after 6pm, with significant FOCUS GROUPS support for theatre, outdoor events and non-food shopping. There is a More choice in bars and pubs desire amongst this demographic group for much more to be available at Quieter venues with seating and night than pubs, bars and restaurants. food. Somewhere to sit and chat. The participants seemed to be pressing for the improvement of a Neighbourhood pubs – the intimate range of services such as transport, type of local venue where one can banking and non-emergency medical become “a regular”. services. “Wind down” and “chill out” venues to go to after an evening or night out.

Family-friendly venues where children can be entertained whilst parents eat and drink nearby.

A more continental-style café culture, where children are welcomed until late.

Entertainment for children and families

Family entertainment with supervised areas and shows:

Activities such as ice skating and “laser-quest”.

Family nights – an evening in town centres for families with child- centred entertainment on offer.

Activities for teenagers, including youth clubs.

Culture and events

Free events and festivals - firework displays, Christmas lights etc.

37 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Inclusive Town Centres and Consumers of Tomorrow

A more attractive pedestrian until at least 11pm. environment, where people can just “be” in the evening. J ust under half would like to see museums and art galleries open A greater choice of films and more until 11pm. independent venues. Festivals and outdoor events were popular. 27% said they would 18 to 35s attend music and arts festivals up to 1am. Public transport

83% of wanted public transport services to run after 6pm. 63% wanted a service up to 3 am.

Shops and services

85% wanted food shops to be open until 8pm, 39% up to 1am.

62% wanted clothes, music and other shops to be open until 8pm.

Over half wanted doctors, dentists and banks to be available until 8pm.

Eating out

Nearly half said they would use cafés and restaurants up to 1pm.

There was some support for alcohol-free venues.

Public venues

Sport and leisure centres were the most popular. 38% wanted these to be available up to11pm.

Some wanted parks and open spaces to be used for summer evening and night-time events.

There was modest support (32%) for libraries and adult education services to be available after 6pm.

Arts, culture and events

38% said they would use theatres

38 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All View from the Front Line – The Industry

4. VIEW FROM THE FRONT LINE – THE INDUSTRY

Eating and drinking after work in London (Photo: Hannah Mummery)

4.1 Introduction venues and attractions saw things and what ideas they had for raising standards. We wished to identify Central government is seeking a examples of good practice and assess partnership with drinks manufacturers the potential for multi-sector and licensees to raise standards collaboration in the future. We across the board. One of the research therefore undertook a survey of inputs to the original “Time for Reform” operators at national level and in five White Paper proposals linked many of selected evening economy hotspots. the problems to a minority of poorly- managed premises. The 2003 Many of the issues raised by local Licensing Act focuses particularly on authorities and consumers in our this area. The industry’s representative research programme were echoed by bodies (the British Beer and Pub the industry in this research. But a Association, the British Institute of distinctive viewpoint also emerges. An Innkeeping, the British Entertainment overarching theme has to do with and Dance Association along with “taking responsibility”. One perspective many other industry bodies etc.) are which emerged from the research is taking a lead in liaising with central that the late-night economy could be government and in devising good likened to a “free enterprise zone”, i practice for their members. with individual businesses battling aggressively in competition for limited We wanted to find out how those custom. In this context the priority for responsible for managing town-centre many is survival. Therefore those who

39 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All View from the Front Line – The Industry advocate partnership and thoughts on the future – including the corporate/social responsibility will impact of the 2003 Licensing Act. need to employ well-honed arguments that also appeal to enlightened self- 4.1.2 Five hotspots interest.

The second part of the study focused on five hotspots or micro-districts, where there is a high concentration of licensed premises (largely bars), pubs and nightclubs. Interviews were conducted with both corporate and independent managers of licensed premises. In order to provide a context for their observations, fifty-six interviews were held with representatives of the police, licensing officers, town-centre management bodies, partnership groups and residents’ groups. The research team also undertook fieldwork in each town. This involved spending a Friday night in each location and conducting hourly observations between approximately 8pm and 2am.

A warning poster to potential residents from publicans! The five areas chosen were all in (Photo: Max Nathan) England and all attracted a large number of people, principally at weekends. Each hotspot was popular 4.1.1 National operators with stag and hen parties and attracted, on an average weekend, The first part of the study consisted of between 10,000 and 30,000 people semi-structured interviews with from a wide catchment area. Three operators at national corporate level. areas lay within regions that have Thirty-six businesses were seen a significant increase in alcohol approached with formal letters of consumption. The types of location introduction, of which 23 agreed to selected were: take part. These operators together represent 17,544 venues. They A London borough with a include nightclubs, pubs, reputation for antisocial behaviour supermarkets, restaurants, retailers, the arts and cultural sector (cinemas, A city in the south east with a theatres and galleries) and groups good reputation for a lively and representing businesses. They were well-managed evening economy. selected on the basis of their extensive The city has several hotspots and national coverage, their representation one with a troublesome reputation on high streets in town centres and, of was selected course, their evening and late-night opening hours. A city in the north-east with a recently-developed hotspot near to The interviews examined operators’ a notorious party area perceptions on the key problems, the measures that they thought should be A former mining town with an adopted to deal with them and their emerging night-time economy

40 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All View from the Front Line – The Industry

A northern city, popular with corporate pattern of ownership limited tourists and stag and hen parties, the number of respondents available where the evening economy has to speak to. There were very few reputedly become safer over the independent pubs, clubs and bars in past decade. the hotspots. This appears to support the views of consumers and others We asked the participants in the elsewhere in this report that town hotspots for their experiences locally centres have become uniform. On the and we sought their views on other hand, if the genuine cooperation partnerships, law and order, town- of these few corporations can be centre management issues, paying for secured, town centres could be better things to get done, the future and the managed in the future impact of the Licensing Act.

4.2.3 Safety, crime and anti-social 4.2 Our findings behaviour – not as bad as you think? We summarise below the main conclusions from our research. There is little doubt that the incidence of violent crime has risen in town 4.2.1 Growth will continue centres in the last five years – although initiatives such as AMEC (the Alcohol Misuse Enforcement There was broad agreement amongst Campaign)ii have made a valuable our participants at national level that improvement. Our own researchers the evening/night economy has grown witnessed in the five hotspots rapidly in recent years and shows no examples of violence, public disorder signs of slowing. This was attributed, and public urination, but it was not to in part, to a fundamental shift in the extent portrayed in some media lifestyles within the population. reports. This underlines the need for a consensus and an accurate and “The days when people worked fixed balanced picture to be assembled at hours and led predictable daily lives are the outset as a basis for a mature long gone.” dialogue with all the key interests.

Business representative 4.2.4 Perception and reality “It doesn’t mean we’re all going to be shopping at 2 or 3 in the morning but Fears about crime and drunken there might be a shift to core shopping disorder have been cited by many hours being more evening based.” people as a deterrent to a more Supermarket operator inclusive evening economy. There was a mixed response to this from respondents. At national level some 4.2.2 A handful of corporate agreed, whilst others thought it was owners dominate the high more a question of perception than street at night reality.

Both surveys confirmed the extent of the corporate domination of the high street at night. We found that two companies owned the majority of high street restaurants for example (this excluded the fast-food sector). This

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laugh”. “The more you tend to trade or open at unsociable hours, the greater the prospect of unsociable activities taking place.” 4.2.6 More police on the beat needed Retailer

“If there is a perception that the West End Issues of policing town centres at night is full of 18 to 25-year-old yobbos out to have been given a high profile by the get hammered in 3 hours then actually national media. Chief Police Officers yes, I would agree, and I see evidence of have complained of under-funding and that.” inadequate resources. This view was supported by many respondents. The Cinema operator majority had safety and security schemes in place (CCTV, door staff, “It is not a case of people actually having Pubwatch and Storewatch), but it was a direct or indirect experience of crime and disturbance in the towns at night – broadly felt that more police were but people believe it goes on.” needed to support and supplement these initiatives. Licensed restaurant operator

“The police are certainly underfunded. I 4.2.5 Acceptable levels of have quite a lot of sympathy for them. They try and attack the problem on the misbehaviour? High Street by using the Licensing Act by getting the magistrates to close places Whilst those at head offices were down, where what they really need is ready to discuss problems of crime more funding from the central government and disorder, local managers to get more police out on the street.” disagreed about the extent and severity of the problems they Pub operator experienced. One nightclub operator we spoke to In the hotspots we found a surprising had directly financed the employment degree of tolerance of “late-night of a late-night officer. Others felt that scuffles”. The majority of respondents to do so would merely lead to “good” had firm policies on not serving operators helping to manage problems troublemakers and underage drinkers. caused by “rogue” operators. Others showed leniency towards customers in “high spirits” or “having a One inherent disadvantage of the laugh”. Fighting or public urination argument for “leaving it” to the police is were, for some, normal activities on a that a heavily-policed town centre at Friday night – not necessarily night can itself be intimidating. The acceptable but certainly typical. reality is likely to be sirens and white vans rather than “Dixon of Dock There may well be a degree of Green”. Many operators worked immunity amongst some licensees to closely with their local constabulary the kind of rowdy behaviour that others and this partnership seems vital. find disconcerting or threatening. There is also too little clarity about 4.2.7 Bingeing, price discounting what is meant by anti-social behaviour. and responsible service One manager claimed a nearby bar was regularly the scene of drunken mayhem. When our researchers then Given the media attention to this issue, spoke to the operator of that bar he operators were keen to discuss this, said he had no problems – merely that but responsibility was mostly passed his patrons were always “up for a from one to another. At national level

42 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All View from the Front Line – The Industry nearly all respondents had policies on At local level the majority of responsible service. Locally, however, interviewees ran discount schemes there was an extremely diverse and promotions of one kind or another, understanding of how discounting but there was no shared related to responsible service and understanding about what constituted there was little agreement on the bad practice. For example one subject. licensee routinely had happy hours where drinks were sold “two for one”. This was considered better practice than “half price”, although both schemes effectively offered the same product at the same price. One licensee suggested there was no relationship between discounting and binge drinking:

“If they stopped the happy hours tomorrow, people would still come out and still get drunk and still do it in the shortest Not all happy hours are the same! amount of time possible.” (Photo: Hannah Mummery) Licensee

At national level, some of the Some local operators of large entertainment sector respondents companies felt under pressure to blamed supermarket retailers for reach corporate sales targets, but felt excessive price discounting and uncomfortable about engaging in argued that many of their patrons discounting. Whilst some of the larger consumed alcohol at home and were companies were beginning to well on the way to being drunk by the discourage discounting some time they entered their premises. licensees admitted their drinks were routinely offered at a “competitive “Much of the excessive alcohol intake is price” across a wide range. supermarket beer being drunk on park benches or being drunk at home.” 4.2.8 A commercial imperative

Pub operator Nationally, the commercial imperative

was felt by several operators. The supermarket retailers rejected this and regarded disorder in the high street as an on-licence problem. “We have issued two profits warnings this year with regards to down-turn in profits purely because we’ve never been in the “I don’t believe the off-licences are the discounting bracket.” major driver of binge drinking. I think it is fundamentally a problem for the on-trade Chameleon Bar and nightclub operator and some of the inducements…you know – happy hours or all you can drink for a tenner…That really fuels drinking as it’s For local independent operators the all about drinking the greatest quantity in priority was also about staying in the shortest time limit.” business.

Retailer

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4.2.9 Not discounting can create There was no agreement as to how diversity this should be resolved however, apart from support for the closure of poorly- run venues. Interestingly, those who did not offer discounts reached a different market. This was not necessarily a more 4.2.11 Physical proximity matters upmarket clientele, but in some cases simply an older and better behaved The spatial distribution of licensed crowd. One manager, surrounded by premises is very relevant to the venues offering low priced drinks, successful management of town claimed to have done very well and centres. Our researchers found that in noted that despite his above-average the three centres that had the least - prices he did better financially than threatening external environments, nearby venues. Another operator there was a drinking circuit that took attempted to attract more discerning fifteen or twenty minutes to walk clientele: around. In the other two centres, where our team experienced most “We have premium pricing on premium unease late at night (1am and later) products, unique products, continental four or five large, youth-oriented beers; and we sell them by the half glass nightclubs faced each other across the instead of the half pint, between £2 and same street. Crowds developed when £3 a glass - quite expensive. But this is an customers flooded out at 2am in aspirational client base. We are standing search of taxis and fast food. This shoulder to shoulder with operators who configuration was the result of a clear offer £1.49 for a pint of beer, which policy decision by councils and police doesn’t help the kind of binge drinking that to concentrate such venues in one we’re moving away from.” place so that they could be managed Pub operator more efficiently.

4.2.12 All agreed that a lack of 4.2.10 Saturation. Too many infrastructure is making businesses touting for things worse custom

This was one of the clearest It was generally agreed that price messages to come from the discounting is related to the close interviews. All sectors and both proximity of venues and the excessive national and local representatives amount of competition between them. agreed that problems were exacerbated by a lack of investment in “It’s given too much choice to the the essential infrastructure necessary consumer and that’s ended up driving to run a town at night. The three key prices down. It doesn’t help when you’ve shortcomings they identified were: already got a country that has a questionable culture in relation to transport, drinking.” public toilets and Nightclub operator

“There’s probably as many people going policing. out as there’s always been but there’s too many businesses to go round.”

Nightclub manager

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their frontages in the morning, with “…if we had the same approach to the one disinfecting at least once a day. day-time economy…they’d say we need better car parks, a better bus service, we The problems arose after the venues need to put more people on.” had closed and customers were dispersing. North East town planner “Yes, we do have problems in the city centre because of the lack of 4.2.13 Late transport is improving, facilities…there was a meeting a few but is still poor weeks ago and one of the conglomerates that own a lot of the licensed premises was suggesting they sponsor some porta- Both corporate providers and local loos.” managers raised problems caused by a lack of public transport and taxis for Police officer town centres in the late evening and late at night. Of the five town centres in the second survey, three had a 4.2.15 Partnerships – mixed night-bus scheme and there were support plans to introduce a service in the other two. The behaviour of drunken The Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy people on buses and in licensed mini- for England gives strong cabs impeded the provision and encouragement to the formation of development of these services. One partnerships between stakeholders in city centre management group had the night-time economy, both public divided their taxi ranks over several and private. Corporate providers locations to avoid fights. nationally were mixed in their support. Manchester’s City Centre safe scheme “I think the issue is people actually trying was one that received praise. Its “no to get away. Can they get on a late-night blame” approach was especially tube? Can they get on a late-night bus? welcomed. Can they get in a late-night taxi, regardless of whether they’ve left at 10 o’clock or they’ve left at 1 o’clock in the “They’ve got all the stakeholders involved morning?” from the publicans through to the car park, taxi providers, fast food providers, transport, buses etc….they’ve taken an Nightclub operator inclusive approach, where they’ve said “right, this is an issue that affects us all. “The problem you tend to find in most We’re not trying to put this issue at town centres is just trying to find a cab anyone’s particular feet.” late at night. There are very few cab drivers who will willingly work in the town Nightclub operator centre, because they know they are going to get inundated with drunken idiots.” Examples such as Pubwatch, Nightclub operator Storewatch, town-centre management, jointly-funded CCTV, licensee/police and transport partnerships were all 4.2.14 No free public toilets widely supported. The question of who available they were partners with was important to some: Local managers highlighted problems caused by a lack of public toilets. In all of the hotspots there were no free public toilets open at night. Several of our respondents routinely cleaned

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“There’s a sort of conundrum for people in “I think as a group we try hard to develop the industry, because when you want to and keep close relations with the local get some change from local authorities or authorities. [The local] police are very government you need to try and unite and good - very proactive, very supportive of speak with one voice but that means you the licensed trade and the night-time are often getting into bed with people you economy here is very well controlled, don’t really want to be associated with.” which brings more people into the city centre. It seems to have less trouble. The Nightclub operator towns that do seem to prosper a lot more.” “I think on the whole what works is the bars who actually care and want to make Regional manager, pub company things better are getting together and banning people. But we’re still battling In the re-branded mining town against the bars that don’t and still let them in. There’s no united front at the licensees, police and town-centre moment.” managers were almost unanimous in their praise of the local Pubwatch. Its London borough licensee success can be attributed to several factors: it was well attended, it was used as a basis for sharing knowledge Business Improvement Districts, on and good practice and, as one the other hand, were as much lauded interviewee put it “there was a strong as dismissed outright: social factor”.

“A BID would be totally opposed and 4.2.16 Partnership should be would be regarded as an additional tax on corporate and local policy the company.”

Nightclub operator For some of the licensees who worked for large corporations there was confusion over whether it was There was widespread concern that corporate policy to join partnerships. BIDs were simply taking over what One corporation did stipulate that local councils should be doing already. managers should be active members. While the prospect of things such as For others it was unclear. A number of extra policing, lighting and security licensees said they had joined only were welcomed there was some because the local licensing authority concern that BIDs would merely result had made it a condition of their in “more window boxes”. license.

We found local managers to be generally more favourable to 4.2.17 Criteria for success partnerships. Their enthusiasm was largely dependent upon the In summary, successful partnerships effectiveness of the partnership in were characterised by: which they were involved. A key issue was the extent to which the local A strong police and council police and council officers attended involvement and supported the partnership meetings. An opportunity to share knowledge and examples of good practice

A good attendance by concerned bodies and all licensees

A good relationship built up over time.

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Those that worked less well displayed the future. The Licensing Act 2003 the following characteristics: was not uniformly supported and there were doubts it would vastly improve Little investment by council or police things.

They were poorly attended “All I can see is that it will result in more They lacked clear, specific goals. drinking and more antisocial behaviour.”

Retailer 4.2.18 Generally against paying more for better town centres – an “extra tax” At the time of the survey few of the operators thought extending their hours would be profitable. However, Whilst all respondents agreed that increased flexibility on hours and the more investment was needed for ability of licensing authorities to close running town centres at night, there down “rogue operators” were both was a general reluctance to assist welcomed in principle. directly by paying for it. The Prime Minister’s call for a tax on late-night “...all the companies I represent are very operators in order to finance extra clear that if a premise causes problems it services was uniformly dismissed – should be closed down. Deal with it.” often in blunt terms. Retail and leisure representative “I find this disgusting…..Why pay for something we’ve already paid for?” A number of positive outcomes of the Act were suggested by interviewees: Restaurant operator There was a widespread belief that the type of venues could change in the Only a small number of alcohol related future. Smaller, late-night venues national providers thought that such aimed at an older and more discerning payments were acceptable and only clientele were referred to. These “chill- then if a direct benefit accrued to their out bars” were seen as a potentially business, as in a Business emerging market Improvement District. Removing the need to play loud music after a specified time in order to get a “So long as it’s clearly set out and the late license was also seen as a operators can see that they’re getting positive step some direct benefit from it, I don’t have an

issue. As an industry you have to realise Pub operators especially welcomed that we are selling a legalised drug and the opportunity provided by the new we need to be responsible about it. If legislation to introduce new late-night helping out by some sort of extra funding venues will cure the problem and will make the

areas safe - then we’ll benefit because There could be fewer hotspots in the more people will come in.” future. Several operators noted that

already in the larger cities there is a Nightclub operator shift away from centralised entertainment zones and felt the Act might encourage this trend. Whilst 4.3 The Licensing Act and the decentralisation could solve some of future the problems associated with late- night transport, it could also result in There was a good deal of problems spilling over into suburban apprehension at national level about and sub-regional centres.

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4.4 Practical steps Liverpool – Crystal Clear Campaign

Operators told us of their involvement in many practical initiatives to address late-night problems, despite the divided views expressed in the interviews. These included schemes to tackle under-age and binge drinking, to ensure patrons a safe passage home and provide extra all round security. Two unresolved practical issues stand out:

Identity cards. There was frustration that there is not a single proof-of-age card in operation. While this was not said in support of the government’s identity card proposal, a proof of age card with a hologram was seen as a solution to the many identity card schemes currently in operation – some of which are not familiar to staff.

Crystal Clear Campaign poster Bottles and glass. Over 100 local (Photo: HIT Merseyside) authorities across Britain now ban the use of glasses and glass Liverpool was seeing a large number bottles, both inside and outside of serious glass related injuries, often venues. The shift to plastic was as a result of violent, alcohol-fuelled seen as a costly though necessary confrontations. So, in 1997-1998 step. But there could also be Merseyside Police ran “Operation financial benefits. One insurer Crystal” to reduce glass-related claimed that by switching to injuries. This included liaising with plastic: licensees to prevent glass and bottles from leaving their premises and a “You will knock probably about 20% off all press campaign to remind people of the public liability claims of the insurance the dangers that could be posed by market and that in itself will knock 20% off glass and bottles. Also police patrols everyone’s insurance premiums.” picked up glasses and bottles and disposed of them in designated Insurer banks.

In some cases the industry has Following the success of Operation worked with Local Authorities on Crystal, HIT, a Liverpool based campaigns to remind drinkers and alcohol and drugs education charity operators of the dangers bottles and was commissioned to carry out a glass can pose. A successful example more concerted education campaign. of this is Liverpool’s Crystal Clear The Crystal Clear Campaign was Campaign. launched in 1999. Shocking posters were placed in prominent locations around the city, advertisements were run on local radio stations. Beer mats, T-shirts and posters were also

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distributed to pubs and clubs. The There is a staff rota to clear up litter co-operation of licensees was sought from the street surrounding the pub and police and HIT staff would every morning. Finally, the landlords regularly visit bars and clubs to inform always ensure they have enough licensees about the project and experienced staff, including Security ensure posters had been put up. Industry Authority trained door staff, who start work at midnight to ensure Results have shown that in the 8 that the pub continues to be well weeks after the Crystal Clear managed throughout the night. campaign was launched glass-related injuries fell from 12 in May 1999 to 2 in September 1999. 4.5 Overall – a lack of consensus In some cases individual pubs have introduced voluntary measures to try Our findings reveal that the industry and ensure that they minimise perspective is highly fragmented. disruption to the local neighbourhood. There is much disagreement on what constitutes good practice. Responsibility for late-night problems, The Railway Hotel pub, Dorset especially alcohol-related violence and disorder, was largely felt to be the A pub in a densely populated responsibility of “rogue operators” and residential street applied to open as a lack of adequate infrastructure late as 3am on weekdays and up to (public transport, policing etc). 6am on weekends. There was concern amongst residents that this Amongst the group, there was not later opening could case problems of even unity on whether there is a noise, litter and antisocial behaviour. problem with the evening and late- night economy at all. The fact that Owners Nigel and Lorraine Jones town centres are largely perceived to developed a set of measures to be the domain of the young and ensure that their neighbours are not in intoxicated from mid-evening onwards anyway disturbed by the later opening is neither generally shared, nor hours of their pub. They were keen uniformly perceived to be a problem. that the pub did not become a place for “boozy late-night sessions” so Understandably, operators were some strict rules were put in force. reluctant to become closely involved in After 11.30pm, staff were told not to partnerships designed to tackle serve double measures, shots or problems if this impinged upon their spirits without mixers. They were also businesses or involved a financial levy. told not to serve alcohol to anyone There was a view that what happens who, in their opinion, had had enough. outside the premises and on the These customers are offered a soft streets is largely someone else’s drink instead. problem. But there are examples of collaboration, particularly on crime The issue of noise is dealt with in a control, and support for a variety of number of ways. Music in is turned off practical initiatives – some of which in the pub at 11.30pm on weekdays have been initiated by operators. and 1am at weekends. Pub staff order taxis for customers to avoid noisy crowds waiting for taxis on the street.

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4.6 A nationally agreed KEY POINTS framework is needed

On the basis of this research we There was broad agreement support the efforts of government and amongst national corporate industry to reach agreement on participants that the evening and responsible retailing. To be effective, night economies will continue to responsible drinking rhetoric needs to grow. This is partly the result of be matched with clear guidelines and major lifestyle changes. sanctions. At the time of survey the recently-produced guidance on point A handful of corporate owners of sale promotions had not been dominate the high street. For published. Our research suggests that example, we found that two it will not be an easy matter to apply companies own the majority of higher standards across the board. high street restaurants. There were very few independently run pubs, clubs and bars in the hotspots.

An accurate and balanced picture about the severity and effects of crime and antisocial behaviour is needed as a basis for multi-sector dialogue. Many interviewees thought that perceptions were worse than the reality and that the media exaggerated the problems.

More clarity is needed on what is meant by antisocial behaviour and what is acceptable. In the hotspots we found a surprising degree of tolerance of late-night scuffles, fighting and public urination.

The majority of respondents had safety and security schemes in place. Many thought that more police are also needed on the street.

Operators were keen to discuss promotions, discounting and binge drinking. But there was little agreement about what constituted responsible retailing. Blame tended to be passed from one to another.

It was generally agreed that price discounting is linked to the close proximity of venues and excessive competition between them.

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All agreed that a lack of the type of venues will change in infrastructure is making things the future. For example, smaller, worse. The three leading priorities late-night venues for older and identified were 1) better public more discerning clientele were transport, 2) public toilets and 3) mentioned. policing. Several operators mentioned the Participants in our surveys had shift away from centralised been involved in schemes to tackle entertainment zones in the larger under-age and binge drinking, to cities. This could result in some of ensure patrons a safe passage the problems spilling over into home and to provide additional suburban and sub-regional security. Two unresolved practical centres. issues stood out: the need for a standard proof-of-age card and the need for a shift from glass to plastic, for bottles and glasses. i Social responsibility standards for the production and sale of alcoholic drinks in the There was mixed support for UK - partnerships and BIDs. Local http://www.beerandpub.com/content.asp?id_C ontent=2287 managers were generally more ii supportive than those at national The Home Office – Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaign 2004 level. More progress could be http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/operational- made if the large national policing/crime-disorder/alcohol-misuse corporations were able to give their backing for local managers to engage positively in partnerships.

Participants identified the features that successful partnerships should possess. These were 1) a strong police and council presence, 2) an opportunity to share experience, 3) a good attendance by all concerned and 4) allowing sufficient time for good relationships to develop.

Operators were generally against paying more for extra services. A few were more amenable, provided there was a direct benefit to their businesses.

Operators welcomed two provisions of the 2003 Licensing Act in particular: flexible hours and the new powers to close down “rogue operators”. But there were doubts about its ability to make a real difference

There was a widespread belief that

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5. MARKET FUTURES, DIVERSITY AND PRODUCTS OF TOMORROW

Black British Style exhibition, Manchester City Art Gallery (Photo: Manchester City Art Gallery)

5.1 Alcohol and th5s 5.1 Introduction We interviewed specialists from central and local government, the licensed trade, town-centre management, The previous chapters paint a picture of architecture, museums and galleries. a limited nightlife experience which is We carried out a desk review of data not meeting the aspirations of sources including population statistics consumers – both those that go out and and private sector market research. those that do not.

5.2 Alcohol and the 18 to 30 We asked our research team to look at year-olds the market, the industrial and demographic trends and to address the question: “Will the evening economy of Market forces have created a uniformity the future offer the potential for greater of provision. Currently, a large amount diversity, inclusiveness and balance?” of the evening economy consists of We wanted to discover if there are alcohol-based socialising in vertical industrial trends that can be drinking venues generally aimed at 18 to encouraged, entrepreneurs that can be 30 year-olds. There is concern that the supported and public-private ventures evening economy does not provide for that can lead to greater innovation and many others: ethnic minority groups, success. those that do not drink alcohol, older people and teenagers.

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However, things are beginning to “Competitive forces are not driving diversity, change. Eating out is becoming more not if you look at the way the mainstream popular as are activities less reliant on late-night sector has moved in the last alcohol, such as films and live music. decade. It has been a homogenisation of Planning effectively for the future the high street. It doesn’t work in our sector requires a much more detailed (licensed trade, particularly late-night understanding of the sector and its venues). It is so brought up on the circuit niches than we have had up to now. mentality that risk-taking is squeezed out.”

Our overall conclusion is that whilst Jon Collins, Chief Executive, Bar innovation is taking place the pace is Entertainment and Dance Association slow. There are still relatively few interesting and innovative venues within This, it seems, is often against the the licensed economy and the cultural wishes and better judgment of those in sector as a whole. There is promise, but the industry: it will be sometime before there is a more balanced evening economy in most of our town centres. “There is a misconception that operators in the 18 to 25 market want to be in that game. They don’t… They’ve been compelled to 5.3 Market forces have follow the market that has pushed out the squeezed out diversity in the diversity, because they need to appeal evening economy more narrowly if they want to make any sort of profit; they have to focus on the 18 to 25 market… We need to pull the core market The evidence from our interviewees back from this discount position and help suggests that, in the licensed trade operators move where they want to go, sector, market forces have created confident that they can make the money increasingly uniform town and city needed to run their businesses.” centres over the past ten years. Jon Collins, Chief Executive, Bar Ownership and control of bars and pubs Entertainment and Dance Association has become concentrated in the hands of a relatively small number of major operators. Pubcos (pub companies - 5.4 Market “failure”? often private equity funds that own a range of investments from pubs to The result could be described as a form banks to software companies) have of market failure: seen the pub market as an area to apply their skills in driving up efficiencies and “By targeting the 18 to 30 year-olds and not extracting value from licensed premises catering for a wider cross-section, the and their operations. In their defence diversity of town activities is suffering. The they would argue that they have raised balance is not right; too many places are standards in an industry that concentrating on a small segment of town- desperately needed it. centre users. I think this will need to change. It has to if the growth and vitality of The overall picture is of a very youthful night-time economies are to be sustained.” industry which itself has relatively little Peter Matthew, Head of Liveability, DCLG idea of where it is going and lacks the kind of strategic outlook that more mature industries have developed.

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“We have moved towards, at least in our “The number of young people is going to town, a high number of 18 to 30 year-olds fall, so this is just another impetus for bars and pubs. They have soaked up the some operators to get out of that (18 to 35 vacant shops that have shut down. Only year-olds) market and into something one new restaurant opened and no other more sustainable.” leisure uses such as a cinema, bowling alley or anything like that. We certainly Amy Wright, Director, CGA Centro haven’t got a gallery or arts venue that offers something a bit different. xxxxx (the name of the centre) is really “samey”.” Traditionally there have been a number of devices employed to cater for older Licensing officer, district council customers; for example “twin scene”

clubs which have one room with contemporary music for younger 5.5 Consumers will slowly clubbers and another for older become more diverse customers where 70s and 80s retro music is played. In the future customers of the evening economy will become more diverse. The Some licensees have made moves to falling number of young people, bring in an older clientele. For example, combined with the rise in the number of a venue in Staffordshire has offered a older people and single households will small symbolic discount on drinks to the create a demand for more varied over-25s. (Usually it is younger licensed premises and a broader range customers that such promotions are of leisure activities, such as theatre, aimed at). As a result the owner has cinema and art galleries. attracted a broader age range and has seen a growth in business.

5.5.1 Over- 30s are currently poorly provided for and are 5.5.2 More people are drinking at a market opportunity home

The Office of National statistics predicts There has been a rise in the amount of that the number of younger people will alcohol consumed at home. In 2003 the fall over the next ten years, specifically figure was 28% as compared to just in the 15 to 29 year old group, and to a 13% in 1985. The reasons for this trend lesser extent in the 30 to 44 year-old include the lower prices of alcohol at groupi. The number of those in their 40s, supermarkets and the poor appeal of 50s and 60s is rising. Many over 50s many town centres after hours, have more disposable income than ever particularly to those over 30. before and are prepared to spend it. The spending power of this group is 5.5.3 Family and household forecast to rise from £38bn in 2003 to change provides an ii £46bn by 2008. (Datamonitor) opportunity

The options for over-30s are still extremely limited in the evening Dependency figures – that is the economy, despite their substantial number of people who have children, disposable income. There are few older relatives or are carers – are due to licensed venues that actively court over- fall in the next ten years, indicating that 30s. there may be some increased leisure

54 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Market Futures, Diversity and Products of Tomorrow opportunities for those who previously and lifestyles within society means that had time-consuming responsibilities. gay and gay-friendly venues will continue to grow and become part of the While divorce rates have remained mainstream night-time offer in many stable, marriage rates have been falling. town and city centres. A growing trend towards single households is the result. These single 5.5.6 Students will become households will continue to need town- increasingly important to the centre meeting places in the future. diversity of the evening

economy 5.5.4 Women-friendly venues can change the culture The Government’s drive to get 50% of young people into university by 2010 There has been considerable debate means that students are likely to about the health, social and become an even more important criminological implications of the recent market, despite rising debt levels. rise in alcohol consumption by women. However, many people see the The student economy has grown not increasing participation of women in the only in size but also in sophistication. evening economy as a positive They are increasingly demanding quality development, leading to new venues and smart operators are addressing this that challenge the culture of the substantial niche. traditional male-dominated pub and forcing authorities to address issues such as safety in town centres at night. “Students have become incredibly sophisticated consumers. They want This is a trend that looks set to continue. designer labels, the latest phones and In recent years leading manufacturers they want increasingly to hang out in have carefully and subtly targeted places that do not smack of being a women; for example by using marketing student pub or bar.” campaigns in celebrity magazines, which are read almost exclusively by Jon Collins, Chief Executive, Bar women. Entertainment and Dance Association

5.5.5 Gay-owned premises are 5.5.7 Teenagers remain an making a difference excluded group

Gay bars and clubs are becoming an The Licensing Bill (Time for Reform increasingly popular part of the evening 2001) that preceded the Licensing Act economy in many towns and cities. 2003 intended to make it possible for Manchester’s Gay Village, centred young people to be present in licensed around Canal Street or Soho in premises, provided they were London’s West End, are the best known accompanied by an adult and the examples. However, clusters of gay premises were suitable. The aim was to venues are emerging in smaller centres try and foster a more continental culture also. Reactions to this trend are where families could socialise together. generally positive, with many The proposal was dropped as the Bill recognising the financial and social progressed through its stages. The lack value it brings to town centres. The of family socialising in Britain is thought increasing acceptance of gay values to be one reason why the evening

55 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Market Futures, Diversity and Products of Tomorrow economy is less diverse than in other young image, these drinks are more countries such as Italy, Spain and appealing to younger drinkers than France. traditional drinks such as wine, beer and spirits “Teenagers don’t have much reason to go to town centres; there are no “bars” for 5.6 Product innovation and them without alcohol. They are huge diversity consumers of cinema, they are a massive group, but there is virtually nothing for them without alcohol and this requires a Evening economy products are change of culture.” changing and diversifying. Available market intelligence suggests that the Irena Bauman, Managing Partner, evening economy is a place of Bauman Lyons Architects substantial experimentation and of fast- moving new experiences. This is Teenagers, say 14 to 17 year-olds, have unlikely to change over the next ten an increasingly significant purchasing years and it may even accelerate. power, but there is little for them in town centres after hours. A response to this Even during our research programme has been the growth of well-run there have been huge changes. Tough teenage nights in club venues. Luminar trading conditions for evening and late- Leisureiii, the largest operator of late night operators such as Luminar, SFI night venues in the UK, has around 100 and Po Na Na, amongst others, have venues hosting alcohol-free “UK Club seen them selling off town-centre sites Culture” events on midweek nights. surplus to requirements. Those who aspire to a higher quality, such as Yates’ Views on this trend are understandably other brand - Ha Ha Bar and Canteen or mixed. One critical viewpoint is that this Living Ventures’ Living Room concept is creating the “young clubbers” of the have seen steady growth or have held future. Not only do operators fill their their positions. Those offering quality, a clubs midweek, but they are also niche product based on age, sexuality, ensuring a market for the future. Yet entertainment, or customer service, these nights also provide a regulated have also fared better. environment for young people that parents can have confidence in. 5.6.1 The market has become saturated Despite being excluded from many licensed premises, young people The late 1990s were the “glory days” for (particularly 14 to17 year-olds) are the licensed sector. In the last few becoming familiar with alcoholic years, over-investment and limited beverages and drinking is becoming consumer demand have led to increasingly normal for this age group. rationalisation and venue disposal for Alcopops (otherwise known as flavoured many companies. The boom is now alcoholic beverages or FABs) are over. Having coped with the downturn popular with teenagers and girls in and the uncertainty of the 2003 particular. Alcopops have their origins Licensing Act, operators are now in attempts by the brewing industry to looking for new opportunities to grow attract clubbers back to alcohol following their businesses. the drug-dominated rave culture of the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. With their sweet flavour, bright packaging and

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Some pubs have sought to diversify 5.6.2 Drinking is cheaper. Alcohol their operations in truly creative ways. is getting stronger. More One example is the “Pub is the Hub” product choice and higher campaigniv, where pubs have branched quality? out to offer post office services, internet facilities and the function of a village The price of alcoholic beverages has shop. Much of this activity has been in generally risen in licensed premises rural areas, but there are signs that across the UK, though not in line with some urban pubs are starting to think earnings, so that the price of alcohol more about how they can serve their today is roughly half what it was in1981 communities better and enhance profits. relative to incomes. Recently a pub in Braintree, Essex, opened a gym and now has 300 Beer is under pressure from other members and 100 visits a day. drinks, notably wine and alcopops, which are more in tune with current 5.6.4 The rise of food-led venues consumer attitudes and are particularly will continue. Consumers appealing to young women, However are becoming more there is a wider range of beers now adventurous! available, including continental brews, many of which are stronger than traditional brands. There has also been The rise of food-led venues (café bars, a substantial increase in sales of spirits, “gastro -pubs” and casual dining particularly vodka, predominantly driven restaurants) has been a major trend in by younger drinkers. town centres. This is expected to continue. In the future more people are 5.6.3 The pub will remain the expected to eat out as part of a normal mainstay of the evening evening’s entertainment: after work, economy before a show or the cinema.

Another trend is the increase in venues Despite the rise of bars, café bars and that serve food during the day and clubs over the past ten years, the pub become bars in the evening. A further will remain at the heart of the evening development is the MDF concept economy, diversifying and adapting to (music, dance and food) – an “all changing market tastes. Overall, pub evening venue” that incorporates food, turnover has increased in recent years, drinking and live entertainment. Cargov but the number of visits has dropped in Shoreditch, London is probably one of and some pubs have been forced to the best-known examples of this close as a result. The new licensing growing trend. hours mean that pubs can now compete with clubs for late custom. Analysts say There has been slower growth for the that in the future, as customers become restaurant sector in the recent past. more demanding, pubs will have to Analysts predict that the trend towards develop unique selling points, for much more variety in restaurant example real ale, better customer provision in the large centres will service, comedy or theatre upstairs, continue over the next ten years. In internet access, or an innovative food particular, noodle bars and “pan-Asian” offer. restaurants are poised for substantial growth, being particularly popular for the 15 to 44 age group.

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There is no doubt that consumers are Sound continuing as before. Many of the becoming much more adventurous in entrepreneurs who developed the their food and leisure choices than a industry (which according to government decade or so ago. It is anticipated this had 1 million weekly participants in the trend will lead to an increase in quality, mid ‘90svii) have moved on into bars, aspirational brands such as Nandos, restaurants and hotels. Wagamama, Yo Sushi and Pizza Express. The late nightclub scene is nevertheless more diverse than ever before and our 5.6.5 Large venues and themed interviewees felt it will go from strength concepts are in decline to strength. One sign of vitality is the number of clubs focusing on event nights that combine art, performance, It is clear from the industry press, cabaret and live music. London is at the market intelligence and our interviewees heart of this new diversity and a whole that the days of the “superpub” are range of non-club venues are being numbered. Theme venues are not drafted into use, such as galleries, expected to disappear completely, but to theatres and hotels. The Great Eastern become more subtle and specialist in vi Hotel near Liverpool Street Station is their appeal. Research from Mintel one example. highlights the growing need for quality, variety and uniqueness, which in many respects has been lacking in the The Great Eastern Hotel, London evening economy so far. On the border of the City and the more marginal spaces of East London 5.6.6 Clubs have had a rough ride, the Great Eastern Hotel has but new formats are positioned itself as a leading force in emerging the cultural economy of Hoxton, Shoreditch and Clerkenwell. “I think that there will be more types of experience bars appealing to specific Presenting a season of events that groups and clubs that target smaller might include film screenings and groups.” performance nights from electronic music label Warp, the Great Eastern Simon Quin, Chief Executive, shows that venues can be multi- Association of Town Centre purpose, offering a range of Management experiences to attract different audiences at different times of the Research clearly shows that the day. mainstream nightclub market has hit a rocky patch after a substantial period of growth in the late 1990s. The number of Examples outside London include the admissions to clubs fell by 1% between Cube “microplex” cinema in Bristol. 1999 and 2004, despite the growth in the licensed sector overall.

Since the demise of “rave culture” the nightclub scene has fragmented and declined, with only super-clubs such as Gatecrasher, Cream and the Ministry of

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The Cube, Bristol As Komedia Director, Mary Connolly explains: Described as “one of the most innovative in Britain” this venue “The ethos is to provide a range of combines a bar, “outlaw” cinema, entertainment possibilities for as broad bring your own film nights and the a range of people as possible. The cream of alternative music focus is on a café culture, not a performances from electronic music to traditional theatre space, so that folk. The Cube has proved that it is customers feel they are coming into an possible to survive outside London, informal space for a meal and the putting on inventive events and entertainment is tied up together. They bringing new life to a previously are getting “the Komedia night out”. marginal and forbidding part of the city centre. We are targeting ABC1s of all ages, from 18 to 70 but we have children’s

theatre on Sunday so it’s hard to 5.6.7 “Culturepreneurs” need categorise, our clientele is mainly 25+ room to grow but they are still younger than your average theatre or arts venue crowd. Most of our interviewees were positive The biggest single hurdle was about the value of more experimental financing our idea; we found the start- and diverse activities within the evening up money by mortgaging our homes. In and late-night economies. Yet the talent the past ten years we have personally and creativity of these “culturepreneurs” raised £1.7 million to realise our vision is rarely at the table, so local authorities, of an accessible venue that offers a funding bodies and partnerships cannot range of entertainment, complemented help to provide the right conditions for by good food and a bar under one roof. them to grow and play a vital role in If the government wants to encourage balancing mainstream evening economy more adventurous venues and cultural culture. enterprises like ours they need to think about how these businesses will find finance and support.” Komedia, Brighton – A truly diverse audience Komedia has now won the Arts Council South’s Best Family Friendly Venue award and the International Theatre Council’s Award for Excellence in International Theatre, amongst many other awards.

5.6.8 The challenge of town centre versus edge of centre and out of town leisure Live Music at Komedia, Brighton (Photo: Komedia) Out-of-town leisure has a limited but Komedia is one of the most dynamic important impact on diversity within the multi-purpose arts venues in the UK. evening economy. Out-of-town sites often attract families and younger

59 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Market Futures, Diversity and Products of Tomorrow couples – very much missing ingredients in town centres today. The City Screen, York threat will remain, despite planning policy that favours town and city Picturehouse Cinemas have centres. According to the “FOCUS on “arthouse” cinemas in a handful of Retail Demand Report 2003”viii demand locations from Edinburgh to Brighton. for out-of-town space within the UK’s top While some of these are classic film 50 towns and cities increased by 112% theatres associated with more in 2003 compared with 2002. Demand challenging cinema, they have from retailers for space in urban centres broadened their appeal offering a was static. Birmingham, Glasgow, range that might include at any one Manchester and Newcastle all saw a time the latest Star Wars instalment, decrease in demand. another Hollywood movie whilst also having three or four European Planning policy under PPS6 is proving pictures. to be effective in steering investment to town centres and edge of centre sites. Picturehouse have also invested in At the same time there is growing new cinemas that do more than show concern that this could force property films. Their City Screen development values up and force out many innovative in York, which opened in the late and distinctive venues that have gained 1990s is right in the city centre a fragile foothold there. alongside the river and has a bar- . restaurant and a club space. Their programme includes comedy and 5.6.9 Cinema – a truly diverse music nights and the complex appeals space, but not the town to a broad range of consumers, from centre force it once was older couples taking in a Fellini re- release, for example, to students Town-centre cinema has been a major dancing at the basement “Soul-Funk casualty of the out-of-town multiplex Night”. trend. Cinemas are some of the most inclusive of our evening economy Picturehouse and other pioneers spaces, appealing to teenagers, older show that town-centre cinema is not people, young families and non-drinkers dead - it just needs to be reconfigured as much as to the population as a and presented more creatively. whole. Major new town and city-centre developments are reintroducing screens as part of the commercial mix. 5.6.10 Live entertainment rocks, Examples include the St George’s but could rock harder! Centre Harrow and The Chimes Uxbridge. Westfield Shopping Towns The popularity of live music has grown and Land Securities see cinema and over the last five years. The experts we leisure very much as part of the spoke to predicted that live music will commercial mix and have included emerge even more strongly as part of multiplexes within their schemes for the evening economy over the next ten Swindon, Nottingham and Exeter. years. New live music venues have been created to a much higher standard that before. For example, the launch of Koko in Camden has set a genuinely new standard in live entertainment.ixThe former Camden Palace has been given

60 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Market Futures, Diversity and Products of Tomorrow a design and sound treatment that is Nottingham, York and Newquay, world class. It shows that a well- through to young professionals or designed venue can be as much a part “empty nesters” staying in boutique of the attraction, as the act playing on hotels in Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds stage. and London.

Koko has certainly set the aspirational “Evening economies have benefited benchmark for live venues for the next substantially from the rise of urban ten years. As well as live music Koko tourism in the past ten years, but some also hosts club nights and more cutting- city centres need to be careful because edge events. they have to balance their main trade – the Friday and Saturday night crowd – However more could be done. with the high spending short breakers who Research involving both promoters and are likely to bring three times as much consumers of live entertainment money into the local economy as locals conducted for META (a body for the time that they are there. Places like Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and representing musicians committed to Nottingham have a reputation as great developing live music) identified three places, but negative publicity, such as the main obstacles to greater audience Nottingham thing, may affect visitors in attendance: lack of transport the next five or ten years.” (particularly late in the evening), cost and a lack of awareness of what is on Destination manager, northern city offer. Leeds was probably the first to market There is scope for local authorities and the evening economy to city breakers town-centre managers to develop better back in 1995, seeing it as a major live entertainment, based on local and opportunity to reinvent the city after the regional demand, ensuring that the post-industrial decline of the 1980’s. appropriate mix of venues is in place. Whilst the evening economy is a strong Live music audits could be undertaken part of the package for many visitors, it to identify gaps in provision. can easily be damaged by negative Entrepreneurs or investors, preferably publicity. local, could then be courted to exploit the opportunity.

5.6.11 City breaks bring in the big spenders, but they can be fickle

City breaks became a major feature of the visitor profile of many town centres across the UK in the 1990s. Although market intelligence suggests that the growth in the city break market will Ice skating in Leeds town centre remain slow (primarily because of cheap (Photo: Pauline Foster) flight competition from other European destinations), it will still expand substantially over the longer term. City breaks can range from the hen and stag parties in towns such as Blackpool,

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5.6.12 Shops will gradually open Christmas, but it has been difficult for later - lagging way behind retail centres to maintain this outside social change seasonal trading times (particularly those outside London).

Lifestyles are changing and more The developers we spoke to want to women are at work during the day. change the culture, albeit slowly. In Many jobs these days do not fit the Regent Street, London, the Crown traditional 9 – 5 pattern. Shift workers Estate plans gradually to extend are less likely to be factory employees opening hours to10pm over the next few than call-centre operators, media or years. In the Oracle development, design professionals, or those who work Reading, shops were persuaded to stay in late-trading bars, shops or open until 8 pm to catch commuters restaurants. returning from London. Others acknowledge that with the recent growth “The days when people worked fixed of online shopping, shopping centres hours and led predictable daily lives are are going to have to do much more to long gone: predictable still for many, but appeal to shoppers during their leisure increasingly flexible for a growing number time. The best-known example of whether they be single-parent households combining retailing with broader forms or retired people or whatever.” of entertainment, 5.30pm to 8pm, is the Leeds “Alive After Five” campaign. Business representative (further details of this campaign are in the “Alive After Five” case study in Shopping hours are changing and major chapter 6) supermarkets and convenience store chains are open later to meet demand. Perhaps the greatest increase in Whilst it is almost exclusively a city and evening retailing outside London has large town phenomena, it is widely been in Manchester, where from May believed that later shopping hours are 2005 the retail core around King Street, set to continue. the Triangle and the Arndale Centre has opened late from Monday to Friday, all year round. However there are many “It doesn’t necessarily mean we’re all town centres that have yet to operate going to be shopping at 2 or 3 in the outside traditional opening hours to morning, but there might be a shift to core shopping hours being more evening compete with out-of-town stores. Some based.” people in the industry feel that major centres are failing to integrate later Supermarket operator opening hours with marketing campaigns, entertainment and other special events to retain workers after However, most non-food stores and hours. other services such as banks are still closed by 5pm. One of our interviewees took the view that there is demand for these services, but that they are often not marketed in the right way.

The development of a consumer culture has encouraged shops to remain open longer, particularly in the run-up to

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“Boots’ policy is to extend opening hours 5.7.1 Museums and galleries are whenever trading can be established (almost) the new clubs profitably. Very often this can be achieved in the early evening when Virtually all London’s cultural institutions (people) leave work and begin to work their way home. We have extended our such as the Tate, the National Gallery, hours of opening in many sites where an the British Museum, the Institute of early evening economy exists. The most Contemporary Arts and the South Bank obvious example is Oxford Street have tried to move beyond their However many have yet to grasp the traditional opening hours and opportunity. I was in xxxx recently (one of audiences, with late-night openings, the top ten retail centres in the UK) where often coupled with music and other the centre appears to close at 5:30pm – events. this can’t be right!”

Andy Godfrey, Public Policy Manager: “We have a regular (V&A) “Late View” on Local and Regional Government, Boots a Wednesday until 10 pm…. We have plc quite a lot of people who meet up, have a drink and then go on somewhere… We have a bar open and maybe a jazz trio. While evening retailing could add much You notice there is more of an event to the mix of people in town centres in ambience and the place changes as soon the evening, our research shows that as you walk through the door – you get a relatively few public amenities and bit of a buzz with people sat on the steps cultural venues are open after hours and and so on.” that this reinforces the image of centres as “theatres of consumption”. There is Laura Martin, Corporate Planning, Victoria and Albert Museum still little on offer for those who do not wish to spend money. There are some innovative trends however and some It is not only in London that museums pioneering examples, so things may be and galleries are playing a greater role beginning to change. in the town centre after hours. One good example is the parties that accompanied 5.7 Public buildings at the heart the “A Celebration of Black British Style” of the evening economy? exhibitions organised by Manchester City Art Gallery as well as the Victoria and Albert Museum. The marketing of Many cultural institutions have, over the the event as a party succeeded in past decade and specifically over the generating a sense of excitement both last two or three years, started to inside and outside the venue. The operate outside their normal remit, atmosphere was informal and lively with attempting to engage non-traditional DJs and performance artists all adding audiences. This is driven partly by to the sense of occasion. funders, such as the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Arts Council, who are Our interviewees felt that more should demanding greater “inclusion”. Part of be done: this drive for inclusion involves institutions opening outside their normal hours.

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offer much more to their communities “Central government should be supporting initiatives by cultural institutions to hold than just maintaining a book collection. public events outside normal museum These new-style libraries are open opening hours. Late evening openings are twelve hours a day, seven days a week becoming a major part of any museum’s and offer educational programmes, offer, and are an important means of internet access, community events, encouraging the widest accessibility.” whilst some even provide café facilities.

Lauren Parker, Curator - Contemporary Team, Victoria and Albert Museum Idea Store, Tower Hamlets, London

It was also felt that poor public transport and car parking acted as barriers.

“A key area is to provide a coherent transport policy. In Southend public transport winds down after 6pm; it makes it much harder.”

Martin Swan, Media, Education and Outreach Officer, Focal Point Gallery, Southend Idea store, Tower Hamlets (Photo: Alistair Turnham) There was a sense that the innovative use of galleries as part of the evening Many libraries offer internet access, economy will grow, but that the training, meeting spaces, as well as the availability of resources will limit their usual book and audio-visual borrowing overall impact. New management services. What is unique about the structures and flexible working practices Ideas Stores built so far is the ambition are required to cover longer hours. and creative scope of them and a realisation of how they can become key community hubs, not just during “(Success will only) be achieved by linking the day, but into the evening too. up separate organisations to come together to run events. It’s hard for small galleries to do this sort of thing, but much The first Idea Stores are in easier if they are working together. More Whitechapel, Bow and Chrisp Street. communication and co-operation between They are right in the middle of organisations also makes staffing easier.” shopping areas – because residents said that was where they would like Martin Swan, Media, Education and their libraries. The Council’s research Outreach Officer, Focal Point Gallery, also showed that: Southend Residents were dissatisfied with the quality, location and nature of the 5.7.2 The library as “a night out” service they had been getting

From Alsop Architecture’s award- Existing libraries and learning winning Peckham Library design to centres were not always open at Tower Hamlets’ programme for seven the times people wanted to use “Idea Stores”, it is clear that libraries can

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KEY POINTS them (on Sundays and in the evening for example) Market forces have squeezed out There was a substantial demand diversity in the evening economy by for good public computer and concentrating on developing alcohol educational facilities led venues aimed at under 30s.

There was demand from all ages Currently the market is failing to for a place for reading, learning, cater for many other potential socialising and relaxing. consumers of the evening economy.

The market will be forced to change Feedback from local residents on the and diversify because of changing Idea Stores has been positive and book demographics, such as a decline in issues and course enrolments have the number of under-30s and the seen a notable upturn. Most rise in older, single households. impressively, visitor figures are currently running at more than treble the number Although the mainstream market is of the libraries they replaced. The first adapting to the needs of previously two stores attracted over 30,000 visits a marginalised groups, such as month each. women, older people and gay people, some groups still remain excluded from the evening economy. These include teenagers and those on low incomes.

The bar and pub market has become saturated and operators are beginning to move away from the youth-orientated, themed bars and pubs of the 1990s.

Pubs will remain a dominant force in the evening economy but will need to adapt and respond to consumers who are demanding more that just a drinking venue.

The growing popularity of eating out, coupled with more adventurous tastes, has led to innovation in formats - from cafés and noodle bars to “gastro pubs” and clubs with restaurants.

The decline in nightclub attendance has led to more innovation, with clubs putting on innovative nights with live music, art and cabaret to

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attract customers. i Office for National Statistics 2005 Population Estimates (see www.statistics.gov.uk/) Live music is growing in popularity ii www.datamonitor.com iii all the time, but there needs to be http://www.luminar.co.uk/ iv http://www.pubisthehub.org.uk/ more help and encouragement from v public bodies to ensure venues can See www.cargo-london.com vi http://www.mintel.com/frontpage/ survive. vii RSA Committee on Illegal Drugs,

Communities and Public Policy 2005 The Talented and innovative Demand for Drugs (available from entrepreneurs in the evening and http://www.rsadrugscommission.org.uk/pdf/dem late-night economies can provide and_for_drugs_0605.pdf ) more diversity. But these viii FOCUS on retail demand report 2003 - “culturepreneurs” need support and http://www.focusnet.co.uk/ room to grow. ix See www.koko.co.uk

Late-night shopping is set to increase, but it has been slow to develop, except for food stores. There is consumer demand and developer interest. Experience suggests that careful marketing coupled with evening events can lead to success.

Although many cultural institutions are opening later and becoming part of the evening economy, much more funding and innovation is needed to encourage this trend, particularly outside of London.

There is scope for public services, such as libraries, to provide more diversity in the evening economy.

The signs are positive and trends point to a move away from town centres that revolve purely around drinking at night. However much more support is needed, especially for cultural activities and innovative independent operators, if real diversity is to be achieved.

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6. CREATING TOWN CENTRES FOR ALL

Young visitors to the Breadcrumbs project in York (Photo: York City Council)

6.1 A better way forward. New 6.2 A success story, but could goals be better?

“In ten years the evening economy has “London is the world capital city of the gone from being the ‘answer to all our evening and late-night economy. The UK prayers’ to becoming the ‘creator of is the best place to go out and London nightmares’. “ especially. If we were in Milan for fashion or LA as the film capital of the world we’d Alistair Turnham, Erskine Corporation be celebrating them for being the best in their businesses and we should be celebrating that London is the best place The evening economy is at a critical to go out in the world. Anybody from stage of development. Recent Sydney to San Francisco knows about our developments and trends provide a evening economies, they are legendary – real opportunity to create more that’s not too grand a word. But nobody interesting and diverse town centres. has said ‘Thanks’ or ‘Good on you’. ” These include the 2003 Licensing Act, new planning legislation, changes in Jonathan Downey, Managing Director, population and their lifestyles, as well Match Bar Group as the way businesses and public agencies co-operate in managing the Our research shows that, despite evening and late-night economies. many advances, town centres are still struggling to catch up with the sudden growth of alcohol-based activity.

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Valuable and limited resources are “Sometimes the development of the tied up just coping with the pressures evening economy ran faster than any vision or strategy they (town-centre on the street. Insufficient time and practitioners and councils) had, so issues attention are being given to the huge on cleansing and violence suddenly potential that exists and planning overwhelmed many places and virtually ahead to develop town centres that nobody understood the scale of the offer real choice and variety. problem. The evening economy happened to them and they were struggling to catch up.” 6.5 The future is about delivery

Simon Quin, Chief Executive, In our interviews, most senior policy Association of Town Centre makers said they feel that, in the past Management five years, central government has provided a comprehensive framework Town centres are also failing to meet of legislation to regulate and develop consumer aspirations for the evening the evening economy and that the and late-night periods. After hours they immediate challenge is about delivery. have become places to socialise and We consider that there remain some have fun, but they have also become important matters of national policy still places where antisocial and to be addressed. In this chapter we irresponsible behaviour is tolerated or bring both policy and delivery together even indulged. in describing the future potential and how to realise it.

6.3 Town centres for all “Stop legislating first and foremost. We need to focus on what is successful at the The problems of law, order and local level.” antisocial behaviour are already well known and our research confirms that Jon Collins Chief Executive, Bar many people feel intimidated by this Entertainment and Dance Association and choose to stay at home. The challenge of getting to town by public transport, and even more importantly 6.6 Diversity is part of the getting home afterwards, is familiar to solution all those who have tried it. What also emerges from the research is a The House of Commons Inquiry (The widespread dissatisfaction with the Evening Economy and the Urban choice, variety and style of venues and Renaissance 2003)i recommended a feeling that the public realm that local authorities develop action (buildings and spaces) has been plans that encourage non-alcohol abandoned to aggressive market centred evening activities: late opening forces – to the detriment of those with shops, museums and galleries and the other interests or limited means. identification of events that have a Whole sections of the community are wider appeal to people of all ages. Our not served by the very restricted range research shows that policy-makers of venues normally on offer. and consumers want diversity in the evening economy. There is a received 6.4 The challenge of the future understanding that a balance or diversity of town-centre land uses will

make centres safer, more attractive The volatile and unstable mix that and more sustainable in the long run. results is not in the long term interests There is much anecdotal opinion, but of town centres, the people who work hard evidence is scant. More research in them or those who live round about. is needed, but in the meantime there is

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sufficient unanimity on this point to early hours of the morning, at build diversity-related objectives into weekdays most venues would be town-centre strategies and closed by midnight or 1am. Where management, with three clear clubs and bars were open later into the objectives in mind: morning adequate infrastructure such as sufficient transport and policing To reduce crime and the fear of would be provided. crime by creating a broader mix and a better balance of evening A better street environment. The attractions. mixture of ages would lead to a more relaxed ambience outside the To meet the aspirations of premises. The street environment residents and consumers more would be subject to continuous fully by creating more choice. improvement. Where there is an existing concentration of noisy alcohol- To strengthen business turnover related entertainment venues, these by widening the user base of town might be left as they were, but subject centres in the evening. to special policing and management measures. In other places, noisy clubs 6.7 What does diversity look would be located where they could not disturb residents and would be sited like? adjacent to suitable taxi ranks and bus stops. An attempt would be made to A brief sketch of a vision for an provide a genuine café culture that inclusive and diverse town centre would operate until 10 pm. The streets could include the following features: would be animated by specially provided entertainment on a regular A wider range of entertainment and basis, either as part of a “family night” operators. A town centre that attracts or as part of a programme of free a wider range of participants during events. the evening and up to the early hours of the morning would include a blend Mixed uses. With care, residential of types, forms and styles of uses would be intermingled with other entertainment. Although eating, land uses in the town centre, provided drinking and dancing would dominate, the very late clubs were suitably these would not be restricted to the located elsewhere. “chains” or themed venues, but would be augmented by alternative and Policing would be discreet but independent operators. Both quiet and effective, with violence and disorder noisy venues would exist, offering a dealt with rapidly throughout all hours range of live performances and styles of the night. of music. Transport would be plentiful and New types of venues would also be cheap. Queues for taxis would be present, where children of all ages short and carefully regulated. Buses could enjoy entertainment whilst their would be frequent and reliable and run parents relaxed with their friends. until an hour at which most of the Affordable entertainment would also venues had closed, or at least 11pm, be provided for young teenagers, both when families have got home. The within the town centre itself and in cost of travelling by bus would be kept local sub-centres. at a reasonable level.

Not quite open all hours. Although some clubs would operate into the

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6.8 Ten Principles At peak times, up to 70% of all admissions to accident and If this is part of the vision for the future, emergency departments. how do we get there? We outline Up to 17m working days lost below ten principles for change. through alcohol related absence. Premature deaths, suicides and the cost of specialist alcohol Embody the community 1. treatment. health agenda in policy and Increased antisocial behaviour transform behavioural and fear of crime – 61% of the norms population perceived alcohol- related crime as worsening in In Scotland, the Licensing (Scotland) 2004. Act 2005ii has added a fifth licensing objective: “protecting and improving Other statistics amplify the picture: public health”. The other four are similar to those contained in the 2003 Alcohol related crime and disorder Licensing Act. In England much of the costs £7.3 billion a year. debate has been about economic Up to 35% of accident and growth on the one hand and issues of emergency attendances and law and order on the other. But the ambulance costs are estimated to impact on public health of poorly be alcohol related. regulated and alcohol driven town Three-quarters of pedestrians centres could scarcely be more killed at night would be over the marked. legal limit to drive, if breathalysed. 70% of all crime is alcohol or drug- In its Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy related. Half of all crime is alcohol- (AHRSE) the Prime Minister’s Strategy related. Unit claimed that alcohol-related harm is costing around £20bn a year and that some of the harms are getting Putting the message across effectively worse. The costs included violent and influencing consumer behaviour is incidents, domestic violence, challenging. In France and Germany a pedestrians killed, accident and healthy drinking agenda is developing emergency attendances and alongside a healthy eating agenda. ambulance costs, admissions to Curiously, this has not emerged in this accident and emergency departments, country in the same way as concerns working days lost due to alcohol about obesity and junk food or nicotine abuse, premature deaths, suicides and addiction and lung cancer for example. the cost of specialist alcohol treatment. Another aspect is education related to peer pressure. The Manchester City Centre safe initiative drew on research Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy from what is now the National Social for England Norms Resource Centre in the USAiii. This showed that many students Alcohol-related harm costs £20bn a misjudged their colleagues’ attitudes to year. The cost is made up of : drinking and that their behaviour was distorted by this. The view “everyone 1.2 m violent incidents (around drinks a lot so I might as well too” half of all violent crimes), 360,000 sums it up. incidents of domestic violence linked to alcohol misuse (around a In social norms marketing campaigns third of total) an effort is made to convey information about positive behaviour that is

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already embraced by most people. The approach draws heavily on The Shhh! Campaign traditional marketing campaigns used to sell a product. Initial results from America look promising.

Manchester City Centre Safe

Shh! Publicity poster (Photo: Sheffield University Student’s Union) Manchester City Centre Safe poster (Photo: Manchester City Centre Safe) The Sshh! campaign (“Silent Students Happy Homes!”) was In Manchester a public education started in 2002 by York St Johns campaign attempted to put the Students Union in response to message across by appealing to increasing complaints by local common sense. residents about late-night noise and nuisance caused by students. It gave A key component of the Manchester a strong message to all students in City Centre Safe initiative (launched in the area that the right of all residents 2000) was the “Think Safe, Drink to have an undisturbed night needed Safe” marketing campaign. This to be respected. Sshh! proved to be encouraged people to change their such a success that it has since been behaviour in order to enjoy a safe adopted by over 50 Student’s Unions night out. Some simple ideas were across Britain. promoted, such as planning the journey home well in advance and The campaign focussed on consciously avoiding conflict. behavioural changes and positive actions. The message was

communicated using flyers, posters Another example is “Shhh!”, a and door hangers to remind students campaign pioneered in York St Johns in a light hearted way about the Students Union in response to importance of respecting their tensions that grew up between neighbours. Each student’s union residents and students over late-night has customised the campaign to suit noise. its own needs. For example,

Sheffield Students Union used

humour in their posters to convey the

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message of the Sshh! campaign Westminster Civic Watch effectively. In 2003 Westminster City Council Another important feature of the launched Civic Watch, a multi-agency campaign is events and outreach project that aims to tackle problems work in the wider community to foster such as noise, litter and disorder by good relations between students and linking up appropriate agencies on residents. Sheffield Students Union the ground in order to maximise spread the message by organising a effectiveness and avoid duplication of series of events throughout February effort. 2006. These included stalls at local nightclubs where lollipops were given Those involved include the police, away to students (a remarkably street wardens, estate officers, fire effective way of reducing noise!) and officers and street managers, along events where participants signed a with residents, businesses and petition promising to keep the Sshh! councillors. All work together to “vow of silence”. tackle the problems of environmental crime and antisocial behaviour.

Some of our consultees, including Civic Watch operates 24 hours a day many of those in the industry, felt that with a team of skilled enforcement the British drinking culture is deeply officers able to tackle issues such as embedded and were cynical about the noise, illegal street trading, nightclub Government’s stated wish to inculcate regulation and mobile CCTV a more continental ambience. We are surveillance. more optimistic and believe that, given real leadership, vision, and good Camden Town Data Monitoring communication a major change can be achieved, as the illustrations indicate. Camden Town is one of London’s busiest night-time destinations. In 2003 the London Borough of Camden 2. Collect the basic data. and the Greater London Authority set Develop a sophisticated in hand a pilot study to collect data market and consumer about the area at night. A understanding to go comprehensive study of Camden alongside performance Town was made between the hours measures and inclusion of 6pm and 6am. Data collected targets included land uses, the number and type of licensed premises, The management of town centres at employment and spending, transport, night relies increasingly on good crime, cultural aspects, street intelligence, fast feedback and swift cleanliness, patterns of activity, intervention. The consideration of impact on residents etc. licensing applications or licensing reviews depends on marshalling the Equipped with comprehensive data right evidence to make the case one about the nature of the night-time way or the other (See Civic Trust and economy in Camden Town, the DCMS Guidanceiv). The proper control Council now has a much better of law and order requires immediate understanding of how the area works. feedback the morning after, as the Carefully targeted measures have Westminster Civic Watch initiative been developed as a result to shows. Policy needs to be based on address the problems. In addition, good, up to date and relevant valuable knowledge has been gained information.

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about the users of the area at night learn from them. and the economic and social benefits. Don’t try to build a consensus among the members of the group. The research report can be seen at Encourage participation and www.london.gov.uk/mayor/strategies/ differences of opinion. sds/camdentown.jsp

Transcribe your tapes quickly after

the focus group, while the To date there has been little publicly- conversation is still fresh in your backed consumer research into mind. product diversity and choice of venues. This has largely been left to Conduct enough sessions to cover the market. Our research shows that the populations of interest, but aspirations for greater access, variety don’t conduct so many that you and choice cannot be served by are overwhelmed by transcribing relying on the market alone. Local and sifting through the information authority town-centre strategies collected. Three to four sessions therefore will need to be based on a is typical. more sophisticated consumer and market understanding, involving not National Main Street Centre USA just those who do go out, but also those who might if things were different. We have found the focus group methodology to be an effective 3. Promote local choice. way of teasing out this detail, as it Encourage the “fresh shoots” allows both specific socio- of innovation and growth demographic groups and geographical areas to be considered in depth and Our research raises the fundamental policies to be set accordingly. questions of who should be provided for in town and city centres at night and how wide a spread of interests Focus group tips and pitfalls should be catered for. It has shown

that some consumers are implicitly Determine in advance what you questioning the ethos that is driving are trying to learn or understand. property in the high street to reach its

maximum value. Live music, small Limit the groups to 10 people or restaurants, quiet bars and cafés and fewer. Larger groups take on Arthouse cinema can be successful in different, less revealing, dynamics. the UK, but only when the conditions

are right. Plan your questions carefully and

test them on a mock focus group Our focus group participants were in of friends and colleagues. effect asking for venues where

businesses could be run on a sub- Limit yourself to five main optimum rate of return and small questions. Avoid trying to fit too independents could enter the market many discussion questions into on an experimental basis. the allotted time.

In an article about the recent growth of Don’t use the focus group as a nightlife in Leeds, academics Paul forum to “educate” the Chatterton and Robert Hollands participants. The goal is for you to conclude that there is a gap between claims about the city’s inclusiveness

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and diversity and the limited provision “The highest rated nightlife options were of genuine cultural alternatives to cultural attractions (from the symphony market-led solutions that are actually and theatre to music venues) and late- on offer. They point to the role of night dining, followed by small jazz and developers, pension funds and music clubs and coffee shops. Bars, large corporate leisure providers in dance clubs and after hours clubs ranked dominating the evening economy to much further down the list. She found that the detriment of local entrepreneurs. it takes a variety of activities coming together to create that gestalt that is Some town-centre developers, such nightlife.” as Land Securities and Westfield Shoppingtowns, recognise the value of The contrast in aspirations between a mix of well-known fascias and local this particular creative class and our independents in their new shopping more mainstream interviewees, centres and go some way to meet particularly the 18 to 35 year-olds these concerns. Provision is made for group, is marked. It underlines the a percentage of independent shops in need to relate consumer research to their developments. The same policies on diversity, choice and principle could apply to the evening sustainable economic growth. Who and night-time economies. needs to be attracted to the town centre to make it a rich, diverse mix? In larger centres, where there is a What are they looking for? How can it range of property types and rental be developed and provided? levels it is possible to encourage and support innovative formats in secondary areas to the benefit of the 4. Create family-friendly and neighbourhood. Komedia, a multi-use child-friendly centres arts venue and bar in Brighton has had a regenerative effect on the One effect of a limited town-centre surrounding area. Such policies can product aimed at a narrow market is go hand in hand with the promotion of that others are deterred from going economic activity in the arts, creative out. There was an attitude amongst and media sector. Recent growth in some of our interviewees that town this sector (e.g. design, software, and city centres are places for “adult publishing and advertising) has been entertainment” and that others should quite marked at more than three times steer clear. It is a short step from this the national average. to the unhealthy dominance of the centre by a limited type of outlets, a In his influential book “The Rise of the restricted type of clientele and the v Creative Class” US academic Richard condoning of potentially intimidating Florida refers to research into creative behaviour. We would take the people in their 20s and 30s carried out opposing point of view. The creation of by Erica Coslor, one of his students. family-friendly and child-friendly He writes: centres should be the goal.

Many focus group participants expressed a desire for venues where adults can go with children in the evening. The kind of venue that would be popular would be multi-activity, where parents and other carers could eat or have a drink and their children would be safe nearby, enjoying some other kind of amusement. Parents also identified a need for a change in

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cultural attitudes towards children, groups showed that the lack of leading to a greater toleration of their affordable transport is a significant presence. barrier to town-centre usage.

Our focus group participants felt that The Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy the behaviour of others was a further for England states that Local Transport impediment to adults bringing children Plans provide the means by which into town centres in the evening or at local authorities can develop transport night. Swearing was identified as strategies to manage the night-time being particularly offensive and economy better, but powers and funds undesirable. There is legislation to are limited. prevent offensive behaviour in public places. Its careful use could help to The free-for-all introduced to the bus create more child-friendly streets at industry outside London in1986 has night. meant that operators only run services that make money. The figures tell the In advance of significant investment in story – Transport for London (TfL) new types of venues, operators and reports an increase in bus usage of town-centre management partnerships 40% since 2000/01vi including the could experiment with “family nights”. development of a comprehensive night Here, restaurants and cafés could bus timetable. Elsewhere in England actively welcome children, transport there has been a decline in bus use. providers could offer concessionary The current picture overall is one of fares and the local partnerships could rising costs, fewer routes and cuts in offer street entertainment. As cost was local authority subsidies. One reason a factor in putting people off going out for London’s success is that TfL was the provision of free activities and able to borrow against anticipated entertainment could provide a draw. revenues from congestion charges and invest in a bigger timetable and a Our focus group research showed that larger modern fleet. There are many participants felt that there was indications that the Government is little for teenagers between the ages of looking at London to see if the lessons 14 and 18 to do in local centres, apart can be applied elsewhere. from illicit drinking. Our research suggests that there could be public There are successes outside London. support for improving youth facilities Manchester and Wolverhampton are and thereby attempting to reduce the examples of using public subsidy to causes of some of the threatening kick-start late-night provision. behaviour experienced in town centres at present. The provision of subsidised youth clubs and youth-oriented centres Night Buses in Manchester would require extra public expenditure, but this is likely to be offset by lower In 2001 the Greater Manchester police costs and improved Passenger Transport Executive police/community relations. (GMPTE) decided to subsidise a night bus network. This consisted of seven night buses operating between 5. Improve accessibility. Deliver Manchester City centre and outlying safe, affordable public district centres. This new scheme transport at night proved to be such a success that the service was expanded a year later to All our surveys underlined the 25 night bus routes operating on inadequacy of public transport Friday and Saturday nights until 3am. provision to serve the evening and late-night economies. Our focus

75 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Creating Town Centres For All

and families with young children to Although these services were visit town and city centres at night. originally subsidised with “pump priming” money to get them off the ground, they are now commercially Late-night parking in Kingston- viable operations. upon-Thames

To encourage people to use this In Kingston-upon-Thames the BID service the buses are supervised by team has come up with an innovative security officers provided by the bus slant. Car parks in the centre are company and Greater Manchester congested during the day, but are an Police. The service has been so unexploited resource after hours. successful that it has now expanded They plan to make use of this to areas outside Manchester, such as resource later into the evening, deliver Wigan and Altrincham. more customers and boost the turnover of the centre. The team is Wolverhampton late bus service consulting with town-centre retailers on later opening hours. A late-night bus service has operated in Wolverhampton since 1996. This scheme was originally set up and 6. Set new standards in financed by the police, nightclub customer care. Make the owners and one of the main bus public realm welcoming and operators. The bus company works in hospitable liaison with the nightclubs in the town to ensure that the night buses serve Our focus group participants and the route most popular with the town’s operators called for more policing. clubbers. This has ensured that the Where special measures have been night buses are well used and the adopted major advances have been buses are now self financing. achieved. The national Alcohol Misuse

Enforcement Campaign has been Other possibilities for cost conscious successful, whilst the Manchester City consumers include regulated taxi- Centre Safe Project has set a standard sharing schemes, late-night minivan for others to follow. taxi services organised by the clubs

(although the insurance problems Manchester City Centre Safe associated with this need to be overcome) and a minibus service In 2000 Manchester Police developed provided as part of a BID initiative. City Centre Safe, a multi-agency partnership designed to tackle the Our focus group participants problems of alcohol-related crime and complained about the expense of disorder and reduce the perception of parking and dark routes back to their drunkeness and crime in the city cars at night. This is not new. A similar centre. point was raised in the Comedia report some fifteen years ago. It is A range of projects and campaigns disappointing that things have was put in place to tackle these improved so little. Careful scrutiny of problems, including: how town centres work at night, starting from a pre-supposition that Drinking bans in designated public driving to and parking in town centres places could be encouraged and made safe, might actually encourage older people Disposal bins for bottles and

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Neighbourhood Wardens or glasses Guardians. But just the presence of a responsible, adult, sober figure can Targeted high-profile policing in change the atmosphere as the Bath crime hotspots Bar Charter Group found.

“Bus Loaders” with links to the Bath Taxi Marshalls police and CCTV to keep order in

bus queues Like many towns, Bath suffered from

specific problems of violence, noise, Safe transport corridors with disorder and overcrowding in areas CCTV and lighting along where people would wait to pick up frequently used routes. taxis late at night.

In addition to these practical The Bath Doorsafe partnership, a measures City Centre Safe has rolled local partnership that supervised the out the “Think Safe, Drink Safe” training and registration of local door campaign mentioned earlier and the staff, hit upon the idea of using Best Bar None initiative that sets existing club door stewards to standards for the operation of licensed supervise late-night taxi queues. premises and makes awards to the

best-run venues. Door staff, hired from specialist

security firms, were asked to keep order in taxi queues, report any problems to the police and assist people in finding a taxi home. The scheme was a huge success. It was found that, as well as being able to solve immediate problems, just the presence of a sober, authority figure was enough in most cases to keep order in the queues.

Similarly, in London the Greater London Authority have tried to make late-night transport safer and ensure that people, especially vulnerable groups such as lone women, have enough information to make an informed and safe choice about their journey home.

Manchester City Centre Safe poster Safer Travel at Night (photo: Manchester City Centre Safe) In 2002 the Mayor of London launched the Safer Travel at Night Extra officers were the preferred initiative. The objective was to crack method of policing for focus group down on the supply of illegal participants, rather than CCTV for minicabs, whilst improving the safety example. They were looking for an and quality of other transport options authority figure with power, which and raising public awareness of the suggests that Community Support dangers of unlicensed cabs. A broad Officers would be preferable to

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coalition of partners was assembled to deliver the initiative. These included a core group of the GLA, the Metropolitan and City of London police forces plus other key stakeholders.

To prevent people from using illegal cabs the supply of safe night transport was improved. Twenty-four hour buses were increased by 25%, some cab ranks in the West End were marshalled and a commitment was made to extend the tube service by one hour.

The initiative also informed people about safer travel options by distributing information cards and guides to nightclubs and by setting up a single free phone number to call over 8,000 taxi cabs. More safety measures have been introduced, such as CCTV on night buses and Safe Travel at Night publicity poster funding for safety measures around (Photo: Greater London Authority) transport interchanges.

Whilst our consultees called for more An ongoing police enforcement police, the domination of a town centre campaign was set up to tackle the at night by police can itself be supply of illegal minicabs and in 2003 intimidating, producing an image of a taxi touting was made a recordable place to be avoided and making offence. Police are now allowed to consumers uneasy – for example take DNA samples from anyone creating the impression that one is a arrested for taxi touting. “suspect” merely by being there and

walking around. The sooner town Finally a high profile campaign was centres can move on from this launched reminding the public of the intimidating environment and replace it dangers posed by illegal cabs. The with proper standards of customer poster campaign “Know what you are care the better for all concerned – getting into” placed hard hitting including those who are currently posters in clubs, bars, theatres and afraid to go out. other public places and there is an

ongoing campaign of cinema and television advertisements. 7. Good planning – “a once in a generation opportunity”? Research by TfL shows that in 2003 use of illegal minicabs fell from 14% Our research suggests that the to 8%. Also in the first two years of planning system has failed to plan the campaign recorded sexual effectively for the evening and late- assaults by illegal cab drivers fell night economies. In this field planning from 212 to 140. needs to go beyond a limited technical

control function and become visionary. The Planning and Compulsory

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Purchase Act 2004vii, the changes in The new Use Class Orders should the Use Class Orders and PPS6 - all avoid what has come to be known as provide what has been described as “a “A3 creep”. Prior to 2005 all once in a generation opportunity”. restaurants, bars, pubs and takeaways were classed as A3. It was possible, subject to other laws being met, to “It’s all about planning in the right way and switch between a food-oriented zoning and getting a good mix of things restaurant with 60 seats to a bar with a going on. Bad planning opened up the capacity of 150 without planning high street [to too many venues] so permission. controlling the number of licenses is vital.

There are too many late licenses and particularly too many in Shoreditch and it “Use classes [change] is not going to could end up as Falaraki or Magaluf.” bring greater diversity, however it is one that should bring greater protection over Jonathan Downey, Managing Director, the creation of mono-cultural zones of 19- Match Bar Group 25 [year-old] pubs and bars we saw in the late 1990s.” “Local authorities have really not got to grips with the power of the planning Planning Officer, Metropolitan Borough system to help manage the evening Council economy. With planning you can really start to think long and hard about where you want different sorts of evening Or research throws up two issues, economy uses so that councils have a first, the appropriateness of PPS 6 clear spatial framework. This was possible guidance and, secondly, spatial before and was never used enough, but planning for concentration or dispersal. planning departments need to realise they PPS6 calls for diversity and inclusion, are in control and not just accept anything but some consultees felt that the that comes along because they are direction of investment to town centres desperate for investment.” coupled with the emphasis on maximising sales densities per square Planning Director, Metropolitan metre could have the effect of Borough Council squeezing out choice and variety.

The recent measures instruments the Spatially, it is clear that the over - Local Development Framework provision of noisy and boisterous bars system with its provision for Action and clubs in close proximity is a major Area Plans and stronger community factor in stimulating intense involvement linked to Local Strategic competition, irresponsible retailing and Partnerships, the new Use Class antisocial behaviour. In some “party Orders and PPS6. There is also scope street” locations where there are for a more creative use of Section 106 existing concentrations of youth- agreements: oriented bars and clubs a mix of uses is likely to be impossible and it may be realistic to define these as “mini- “I think that Section 106 agreements, enclaves” where special management, particularly in small towns, need to be health and policing measures from much better used to provide diversity in voluntary codes to saturation policies the evening economy, such as community facilities and spaces.” should apply. Residential and other types of mixed uses and Simon Quin, Chief Executive, entertainments would be directed to Association of Town Centre other parts of the centre. Management

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Designing for mixed use 8. Place-making: develop a new developments. The techniques for language of design designing and managing mixed use environments are still being Our town centres can be forbidding learned, or re-learned. Town places at night, with inadequate street centres have, until recently, been lighting, gated shopping malls and seen largely as retail and business public open spaces, dark car parks, destinations – not places to live in. murky stations and bus stops etc. This has all changed with the Moreover our centres were not advent of the “urban renaissance”. designed for mixed uses over eighteen Developers are now getting used or even 24 hours. Success involves to providing for shops, restaurants, improving design in the public and bars and apartments within the private realms – and particularly the same building. The problems of points where they interact. There are noise and disturbance from the three key areas of design: street are of major concern to developers and their residents. Designing out crime is now a Higher standards of noise specialism in its own right. It insulation, such as acoustic covers a wide gamut of lobbies, need to be more widely interventions from the positioning incorporated. In addition we can of a movement-sensitive light in a learn from the past. In Berlin, dark alley to designing secure traditional town-centre blocks had routes home in Manchester, to a noisy side and a quiet secluded master-planning new development. side. Noisy activities faced the Dr Tim Pascoe from Perpetuity street. Living accommodation was Research and Consultancy grouped around inner courtyards. viii International Ltd makes the point that, given the very low conviction Designing in delight. Most urban rate of around two per hundred design is for 9am to 5pm. Things offences, it makes sense to change after dark. What looks concentrate on primary preventive good in daylight hours can become measures such as designing out a no-go area after dark. crime. He defines this as: Conversely, the gaudy neon of night-time venues can look tawdry “The creation through design of a in the cold light of day. The physical and social environment, opportunities are enormous. Many which is conducive to the overall relate to the clever use of artificial security and wellbeing of the whole light in art installations as in the community.” Renaissance: Illuminating York project, or in the artistic Effective interventions rely on floodlighting of key buildings as in having the right data, juxtaposing Leeds. the right number, type and variety of venues, designing for the flows of people at key times and at points of congestion, creating a secure and welcoming environment and adopting the “broken windows” philosophy – that is put the simple things right before they grow out of control.

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Renaissance: Illuminating York 9. Promote flexible hours and the multiple use of public buildings: art galleries, libraries, museums and school

According to the statistics, more people visit art galleries and museums each year than go to football matches - though not necessarily during the twilight or night hours. But, as our research has shown, things are changing. There are now good

One of the light installations in York examples of galleries and museums (Photo: York City Council) opening late, perhaps for a special event, and libraries offering an In 2005 York launched a series of innovative service later into the architectural lighting projects. Mainly evening. The problems of public sector run by the City Council, the project staff regularly working unsocial hours was also supported by a panel formed can, it seems, be overcome by careful of representatives from museums, art planning and organisation. galleries and the media industry. The Undertaking an opportunity audit of organisers came up with lighting public venues to define their roles schemes that made the most of York’s within town-centre strategies is an historic buildings as well as trails and essential early task. Where public or permanent installations to attract private school buildings are close to families into the city centre at night. town centres they could be included in the audit. There remains considerable The project consisted of night-time potential for the dual use of grounds, trails based around the floodlighting of halls and auditoria after normal school York’s famous historical buildings plus hours. trails featuring permanent and temporary lighting installations. The installations were designed to Nuit Blanche, Paris

illuminate the fabric of the City in a Every October night turns to day when contemporary way. They were the city holds its annual Nuit Blanche designed by a combination of or White Night. Throughout the White established local artists and local Night museums, libraries, monuments, groups. places of worship, tourist sites,

One of the more creative projects was cinemas, parks and gardens, hospitals, Breadcrumbs. This project was swimming pools and universities in specifically designed to encourage Paris stay open all night to the public.

families to use the city centre at night. At dawn, each district's city hall, local A trail was set up, accompanied by associations and shopkeepers professionally designed stories. organise breakfasts for those who Markers were set in the pavement, have lasted through the night. where families would stop and read the appropriate story from the trail, The event is proving to be very popular whilst being encouraged to look with both locals and tourists. The last around at the surroundings on which White Night in October 2005 attracted each story was based. over 600,000 visitors.

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10. Extend shopping and other services into the evening also to help to reduce rush hour congestion by encouraging office workers to linger in the town centre for Our research suggests that shop a few extra hours. opening hours will gradually extend further into the evening in the future. The benefits include overcoming the dead time between 5pm and 8pm, when a town centre may feel empty and deserted, and overlapping different activities to give more variety and choice. Twenty-four hour food stores have already arrived, but shops that rely on comparison and clustering need careful thought. Evening events City Centre Leeds can be a good way to establish the (Photo: Pauline Foster) image of the centre as a destination for evening shopping as the Leeds The first stage of Alive after Five was “Alive after Five” initiative a high profile campaign to encourage demonstrates. shops in Leeds City Centre to remain open until 7pm on Thursday to Saturday nights. A core group of city Leeds Alive after Five centre retailers was assembled to champion the benefits of the campaign with their neighbours. This was accompanied by a press campaign with DJ’s from the local radio station promoting the campaign and staging mock demonstrations demanding later shopping hours. To spread the word about the new shopping hour’s annual events such City Centre Leeds as “Fashion Leeds” and the “Rhythms City Centre Leeds of the City” festival were moved to the

(Photo: Pauline Foster) evening and linked to the Alive After Five campaign. Over the last 15 years Leeds has

experienced a significant economic

renaissance, with its vibrant evening

economy proving to be a huge pull for

residents and visitors alike.

However, while the city centre buzzed

with life later at night, the city was

struggling with a “dead zone” between

5pm and 8pm.

Leeds City Centre Management

planned a campaign to encourage

more shops and leisure providers to

open between the hours of 5pm and

8pm. It was hoped that this would

encourage a better mix of people in

the city centre in the evening, and

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TEN PRINCIPLES v Florida R The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It's Transforming Work, Leisure, In this chapter we identify ten Community and Everyday Life principles for change: vi National Audit Office - Delivery Chain Analysis for Bus Services in England 1. Embody the community health http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_report s/05-06/0506677.pdf agenda in policy and transform vii behavioural norms. The Planning and Compulsary purchase act 2004 http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2004/2004000 2. Collect the basic data. Develop a 5.htm sophisticated market and viii http://www.perpetuitygroup.com/ consumer understanding to go alongside performance measures and inclusion targets.

3. Promote local choice. Encourage the “fresh shoots” of innovation and growth.

4. Create family-friendly and child- friendly centres.

5. Improve accessibility. Deliver safe, affordable, public transport at night.

6. Set new standards in customer care. Make the public realm welcoming and hospitable.

7. Use planning to shape the future of town centres at night – “a once in a lifetime opportunity”.

8. Develop a new language of design. Design out crime and design in delight.

9. Promote flexible hours and the multiple use of public buildings: art galleries, libraries, museums and schools.

10. Extend shopping and other services into the evening.

ihttp://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm2 00203/cmselect/cmodpm/396/396.pdf iihttp://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/a cts2005/20050016.htm iii http://www.socialnorm.org/ iv www.civictrust.org.uk and www.culture.gov.uk

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7. SETTING STANDARDS, DELIVERING SUCCESS

Brindley Place, Birmingham (Photo: Argent plc)

7.1 Taking responsibility sometimes be overlooked in partnerships as a result. And yet their involvement is vital, both locally and at A strong theme that runs through all national corporate level, where our our work is the importance of research found some cynicism about partnership and the need for the value of partnerships. New ways representatives of the key interest need to be found to ensure their groups to take responsibility and work voices are heard and their together for better town centres in the commitment secured – even the times future. In this chapter we look briefly at of meetings are important when each of the interests and set out a operators are working unconventional methodology for action. hours and may not be available during the normal working day. 7.1.1 Operators and managers 7.1.2 Developers and landlords Our research shows that evening and night-time operators are relatively new Our case studies show how concerned to the practice of urban partnership. many town-centre developers and Outside the West End of London and landlords are about the evening and other hotspots they are likely to make late-night economies. They generally up only a small proportion of town- have a longer term view of their centre businesses. They can property interests and understand the

84 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Setting Standards, Delivering Success connection between the value of their investments and the health of the town middle of the development. centre as a whole. In keeping with government policy they are bringing New residents complained that the forward mixed-use schemes that central piazza in the development include significant proportions of was being used at night as a meeting commercial uses (A3, A4 and A5) point for customers of the nightclubs together with town houses and in the town centre. This, together with apartments. Our research into noise from restaurants and bars on successful mixed-use developments, the ground floor of the development such as Brindley Place in Birmingham, made living conditions difficult. The shows that careful and detailed Charter Quay Residents Association management of lettings by landlords was set up and talks were held with can make all the difference in ensuring St. George, bar managers, the police that a good balance of activities is and the Council to try to resolve maintained and “bad neighbour” these problems. activities curtailed. Many are concerned that, whilst they may be The Royal Borough of Kingston- able to exert control over what upon-Thames responded by delaying happens in their own properties, the waste collection and delivery times to public realm beyond their boundaries and from the commercial premises is poorly regulated. Their investments until 8am, by introducing trial police are therefore threatened. patrols of the area at night and establishing a radio link between the development’s concierges and the Charter Quay, Kingston upon police. St George made a number of Thames detailed management changes, including keeping the main doors of cafés and bars closed at night to minimise noise and placing obligations on their tenants to behave in a responsible manner, for example, by instructing them not to move furniture around outside their premises after hours. A management company was appointed to ensure all public areas of the development were kept clean, tidy and well lit. Additional Charter Quay, Kingston upon Thames CCTV cameras were installed. (Photo: St George plc) Regular meetings between residents and the regional managing director were held to address other problems. Charter Quay is an award-winning, mixed-use development on the These management steps have Thames waterfront built and owned resulted in a significant reduction in by St. George plc. It opened in 2003. noise and other problems. The There are five floors of apartments continuing dialogue between above shops and cafés that are residents, the developers and the grouped around a piazza. A theatre local authority helps to iron out other was also built as part of the scheme. problems as they arise. A feature of the scheme is the opening up of the river frontage for public use and a connection to it from the town centre that runs through the

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7.1.3 Town planners proximity to evening entertainment. The properties are marketed with that in mind. Elsewhere, residents are There are now finer controls available likely to be in the forefront of those to planners in distinguishing between pressing for a well-regulated evening different types of evening and night and night economy and are the first to uses. There is also fresh suffer the consequences when things encouragement from government on go wrong. There is now a formal role preparing strategies for evening and for eligible residents built into the 2003 night-time economy uses. Given the Licensing Act in relation to the granting experience of the past, there is now an and review of licenses. urgent need for planning policy to be well-informed, realistic and visionary about the potential of the future. The Chislehurst Society

With the introduction of the Licensing 7.1.4 Agencies for regulation Act 2003, many residents in the and infrastructure Chislehurst area were worried that potentially longer pub hours would Much of the media attention has been cause unacceptable disruption in the focused on the work of the police and area. the need for stricter enforcement. But the concerns also include noise, public The Chislehurst Society, the local health, safe and convenient public residents group, decided from the transport, accident and emergency outset to work positively with the local services, public conveniences, authority and, where possible, the cleansing etc. It is a challenge to find licensees, as they saw this as the best ways for all to work together effectively route to solving potential problems. in accordance with an overall vision. For example, in Nottingham’s City The Society, with the full co-operation Centre Evening Economy Strategy, of the Borough, acts as a main point produced in 2004, it is proposed that of contact for residents who wish to the City Council will be the lead object to a license application. At partner within a collaborative hearings, the Chairman of the Society partnership which will also include represents those residents who are Nottinghamshire Police, Nottingham unhappy about doing it themselves. Crime and Disorder Reduction The Society also undertakes publicity Partnership, Experience Nottingham ensuring that all residents in the (the City’s destination management vicinity of a license application are group), Greater Nottingham Transport correctly informed of an application. Partnership, community/voluntary representatives, developers and investors, retail and leisure interests. 7.1.6 Consumers – the missing Three Council departments will voice? oversee the performance of the partners: Development, Our research suggests that the Neighbourhood Services and Leisure knowledge about existing and potential and Community. consumers, their views, needs and aspirations for the future, is limited. In 7.1.5 Residents – eyes and ears particular, relatively little attention has been given to those who feel excluded from the evening and night-time Many new and young residents in economy for one reason or another. A town and city centre loft developments more detailed knowledge of consumer choose their homes because of their aspirations is an essential step in

86 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Setting Standards, Delivering Success creating more varied and inclusive needed for an effective delivery town centres after hours. partnership and monitoring process. 7.2 Four stages of partnership 7.3 Three policy imperatives We looked at Bruce Tuckman’si popular organisational theory of how At the present time, and for obvious individuals, teams and organisations reasons, the priority is on measures to grow in mutual trust and collaboration regulate and control the evening and and how this might apply to the late-night economies. At the same evening and late-night economy. His time there is a growing body of four stages are forming, storming, experience in managing town centres norming and performing. after hours in an integrated way. We believe there is also a need for a Forming: Analagous to the early radical vision of the future, based on and mid 1990s, when a small the ten principles outlined in Chapter number of strong voices were Six. We bring this together in the examining the existing evening following three “policy imperatives”: economy and setting out a possible direction ahead, often Control and customer care. based upon a relaxation of Regain control and transform licensing laws and the standards of customer care. Make encouragement of a café society. town centres hospitable and welcoming Storming: A few leading locations set the pace in the 1990s with a Vision and strategy. Replace the frantic pace of development by the policy vacuum with positive visions licensed trade, with others, such and strategies for a more diverse as galleries, museums, residents future. Develop a new agenda, and the police left on the sidelines. with the aim of ensuring greater One might say that most centres balance, variety, choice and are still at the forming or storming accessibility for all stages. Partnership and delivery. Norming: Manchester is closer Integrate all the relevant than most other centres in entering management functions. Encourage this third stage. City Centre Safe is all interests to take responsibility. the lead body, creating a set of Extend the scope of town-centre responsibilities for other management and BIDs into the organisations and possessing a evening and late night. strong partnership ethic. All three need to be brought together Performing: It is the government’s in a comprehensive approach, but aim (and that of most residents) their order depends very much on the that town-centre evening and late- characteristics of the individual centre. night economies should enter this In some, law and order concerns will fourth stage in the next five to ten dictate that regaining control comes years – as some currently do first. Elsewhere, a forward vision may during the day time. This is a long- be the key missing ingredient. term objective, involving planning Moreover, they should not be seen as ahead to achieve the vision; strictly sequential – rather as points on resourcing the plan; and a wheel – so that the partners can shift developing the governance and from one to the other in response to community engagement structures local circumstances and opportunity.

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and even violence, which is not The Three Imperatives necessarily condoned, but accepted as part of a night out. This runs counter to our vision for a family and child-friendly future. New values are needed - more positive than “zero tolerance” because something better is Partnership Control and being put in its place. and Customer

Delivery Care 2. Restore order

Order involves both the behaviour of people and the responsible management of premises, via Vision and regulation and enforcement – without Strategy which little is possible. The new armoury of legislation and interventions introduced by central government gives a better chance of achieving this than ever before. 7.4 First imperative: Six steps in control and customer care 3. Promote voluntary codes and standards

All would agree that regaining control must be a first priority. But the longer- The Government rightly wishes to term goal must be to create an encourage a stronger sense of environment that is capable of self- responsibility across industry. This regulation. A heavily policed town must be part of the picture. The British centre at night is likely to be Beer and Pub Association’s Point of iii intimidating to many and therefore Sales Promotions standards is one counter-productive. As the influential example. However, we found in our American urbanist Jane Jacobsii wrote research that the industry is so in 1964: fragmented, competitive and youthful that it would be unwise to rely unduly on voluntary codes at the present time. “The public peace is not kept primarily by

the police, necessary as they are, but by an intricate, almost unconscious network 4. Empower the community in of voluntary codes and support standards…enforced by the people themselves.” The business and residential communities are essential agencies of So we are all peacekeepers, but we control. Concerned citizens may be have to start from where we are. Here the first to alert the authorities when are six steps to take us from now to things go wrong. Some groups go Jane Jacob’s more sustainable state: much further in undertaking night-time surveys (Bath Night Vision) and in 1. A consensus for action caring for the vulnerable (Norwich based on fresh values SOS).

In our research we found widely differing tolerance levels to boisterousness, antisocial behaviour

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Norwich SOS bus Bath night vision

With support from the Government Office of the South West a visual audit of alcohol-related crime and incidents in Bath City Centre was recorded by 16 surveyors from various groups, co- The SOS Bus (Photo: The Home Safe and Sound project) ordinated by Bath and North East Somerset Community Safety Group In 2000 three teenagers died after a and Bath Bar Charter Group. night out in Norwich: two were found drowned in the river after attempting Surveyors walked two planned routes to get home and a short while through Bath over two weekends in afterwards a third died in a nightclub February/March 2005. The routes from alcohol-related causes. were repeated four times throughout the night from 12:30 until 2:30am. In response to these problems local Surveyors recorded the location and club managers formed a “Nightclub category of alcohol-related behaviour Liaison Committee” and invited all and its physical features. agencies and stakeholders to join them to ensure nothing similar Behaviour was divided into the happened again. The Committee following categories: decided on actions designed to make Norwich a safer city at night and Aggression or intimidating which would eventually develop into behaviour the “Home Safe and Sound Project”. Nuisance noise Obvious intoxication The project contained three initiatives: Urinating or vomiting Street drinking A radio system to link clubs, pubs, Violent criminal behaviour the police, CCTV and a SOS bus on Friday and Saturday nights. The physical features were defined as: A sticker displayed in pub and club windows, showing that anyone in Dropped litter/food trouble could use the phone free Bottles, cans and broken glass on of charge at those premises to call the street for help. Urine or vomit Criminal damage A safe haven for people to use at Other incidents any time during the night for whatever reason. The safe haven The results of the survey were came in the form of a donated bus mapped geographically and areas of (the SOS bus) staffed by volunteer the city that suffered from particular first aiders and a support vehicle problems were identified. to take vulnerable people home. The SOS bus is intended to deal with immediate problems such as minor injuries, lack of transport 5. Deliver higher standards of home and other difficulties. SOS customer care Bus staff are also trained to give

advice and make referrals to help The impression has been created that with more long-term problems. it is a bit of a free for all at night. After

89 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Setting Standards, Delivering Success midnight it is sometimes difficult to find Just as visions must be shared if they a sober responsible adult in many are to be powerful, so strategies centres. In Bolton there is a town- should embrace all relevant policies if centre manager working at night. In they are to be effective. The town Bath the Bath Bar Charter Group centre 5 to 9 is quintessentially a set of experimented successfully with street cross-cutting issues. Is yet another set wardens and wardens at the taxi of discrete policies appropriate? We queue pinch-point. are attracted to the concept of a “NightVision proofing model” developed for us by Alistair Turnham 6. Place marketing and of the Erskine Corporation. By this we changing perceptions mean a procedure for welding together all relevant people, policies and Part of the solution is publicising budgets and developing their success and presenting the improved contributions within the whole. The centre to the public. If things have model tries to avoid “policy stalemate” genuinely got better, negative – which results from one agency’s perceptions can be changed and some actions cancelling out the good who were previously put off by the intentions of another; for example, reality or perception of violence and cleansing or bus services being cut disorder may venture out. Special just as new night-time venues are celebratory events have a role to play granted licenses. in marking the transition from “no-go area” to an up-and-coming night spot. There are at least thirteen existing strategies that impact upon town centres in the evening and which need 7.5 Second imperative: to be reviewed through a single A vision and strategy for a “NightVision lens”: more diverse future Local strategic partnership strategy NightVision proofing model Local transport plan Licensing strategy Step One: Step Two: Policing plan Local authority’s corporate plan Research Vision and Tourism strategy - Framework A “Diversity Business improvement district Audit” policy Crime and disorder reduction strategy Council community engagement Step Three: and research strategy Local development framework NightVision Step Five: Proofing of Cultural strategy Strateg ies Town-centre management plan Evaluation of and Plans Local health strategies. Impact

Step Four:

Action and Delivery

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Nottingham City Centre Evening Step one: Research – a Economy Strategy “diversity audit”

In the mid to late 1990’s Nottingham Authorities within England and beyond city centre enjoyed a rapid expansion have made efforts to expand their in its leisure and entertainment knowledge of their night-time industry. However with this growth economies in order to prepare their came problems of binge drinking, strategies. In some areas, such as crime, inadequate transport, disorder Shoreditch in East London, outside and conflict between revellers and consultants have been employed to residents of the town centre. Soon prepare strategies. Nottingham began to struggle with a bad reputation as a city blighted by bad behaviour and alcohol-related problems. In July 2003, a review of the Shoreditch Night-Time Economy management of the city centre was Strategy begun and an evening economy working group was set up as part of Hackney has a thriving late-night this process. economy with some 900 licensed premises. Many of its venues form an The working group consisted of the integral part of London’s growing Council’s key portfolio holders and the entertainment and cultural sector. The destination management group area of Shoreditch on the borders Experience Nottingham. Nine key between Hackney and the City of issues were identified relating to binge London has developed rapidly from a drinking, image and negative neglected inner-city area to one of perceptions, safety and alcohol related London’s most fashionable night-time violence, accessibility and late-night destinations. transport, conflict between residents and revellers, attracting a more Following the introduction of flexible diverse age range, cleanliness, licensing hours with the 2003 cultural events, design and public Licensing Act and the continued realm improvements. growth of the evening economy, Hackney Council engaged consultants In October 2004 the City Centre Urban Practitioners to prepare an Manager produced a draft Strategic evening economy strategy for the Management Plan for the Evening area. Economy for consultation with selected stakeholders. The strategy was based on the comprehensive gathering of The plan sets out a vision for the information about all the facets of the future, which is “to grow Nottingham’s evening economy in Shoreditch position as the prime leisure including observational work, plotting destination in the East Midlands”. the number and type of licensed There are three Key Action Plans that premises, interviews with residents, focus on improving the built interviews with local operators, crime environment, maintaining the public statistics, frequency and passenger realm and managing the behaviour of loading of night-time transport, interviews with those who use the the people who visit the city centre. area at night etc.

The strategy provides a policy framework for the future development

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there safe and secure car parking of Hackney’s evening economy to within easy reach? What additional influence the development of the measures and services are Borough’s licensing strategy. As well provided by the private sector in as this, the strategy is practical in that the interests of their clientele and it also identifies a range of projects to employees? promote the effective management the evening and night-time economies Place. Does it work in terms of the in Shoreditch. clustering and variety of venues? How appealing is the public realm to varied consumer groups? Is it Initially, the concerns of researchers family-friendly and child-friendly? were largely crime and antisocial Does it have a locally distinctive behaviour. Looking ahead, a baseline image? Are there things to do and audit with diversity as an aim would places to go that do not involve include a wider range of themes and alcohol consumption or significant indicators, concerned with expenditure? Are points of arrival performance and aspiration for the well linked to venues with the future. These can be grouped under avoidance of congestion pinch- two headings, “The Destination” and points at key times? Are new “Consumer Choice and Appeal”, as mixed-use developments well- outlined below: planned to shield residents from night-time noise? Is there visual The destination delight and interest?

Venues. This entails an appraisal Customer care. What sense of of the variety and appeal of venues social responsibility is to a broad cross-section of the demonstrated by the operators, community throughout the time including participation in multi period. How inclusive are the sector partnerships for the area? Is venues are in terms of cost? How there a sober, responsible, adult do they interact in terms of balance presence on the streets at night? and critical mass? How well Is there somewhere to go for help? managed are they? How Could you go out with children as innovative or entrepreneurial are part of a family group? Are basic they?. What varied age and cleansing, toilet, lighting and interest groups do they set out to enforcement services in place? attract and cater for? Is there a How does the area market and healthy independent sector or are present itself to consumers? the venues dominated by the national and international corporations? How do they fit Consumer choice and appeal within or contribute to strategic policies on the development of the In some centres, such as Liverpool, creative and media sectors, for regular street or telephone surveys are example, or on the extension of undertaken to find out basic evening shopping or cultural information relating to the overall strategies? appeal of the centre and whether things are better or worse. As part of Accessibility. Are there secure, the diversity audit a more thorough well-lit routes home? Is there an investigation would be made including adequate, well-publicised night bus existing and potential consumers: service? Is transport home affordable? Are night taxis available and well regulated? Is

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Consumers now. A profile and be developed, how this development performance assessment based will be managed, by whom and with on the standard achieved by the what resources. It will contain some centre in serving its existing simple criteria so that partners can clientele. This would be track progress and know when the undertaken through street surveys vision has been achieved. For and in cooperation with the example, it will take account of the operators of venues. practical systems of consultation and engagement, how the evening Consumers tomorrow. From the economy will be marketed and so on. profile and the strategic policy for It should be compatible with other the area, a selection of consumer existing visions and strategies! types, ages, occupations and geographical areas that are A checklist of considerations might important to the future of the include: centre. These are likely to include groups that form a growing or The centre today significant part of the population but who are currently excluded or Research findings. The results of the absent from the centre after hours. baseline research on the performance Focus group surveys would be of the centre, the diversity audit and used to identify specific barriers to the consumer focus groups.

going out, shortcomings in Stakeholders. The shared aspirations provision and opportunities for the of the stakeholders, including future. operators, consumers, residents and the “champions” of the strategies and The key themes, based on our own plans. focus group research, might include: The centre tomorrow Individual circumstances and aspirations Headline aspiration. For example, Venues the creation of a family-friendly centre Transport at night, a destination for all, a cultural hub, an engine for economic growth Cost etc. Policing Inclusiveness. Activities that promote the maximum involvement of all groups within the local population as Step two: Vision and framework well as tourists and visitors.

Visions can be powerful. They can Diversity. A healthy balance of sustain partnerships through many a activities that sustain the centre long- long year of difficulties and setbacks. term.

A shared vision is based on a common Strategic policy fit. The role of the cause – typically focused on evening and late-night economy in increasing commercial success and promoting the town or city to investors, performance. But the NightVision attracting or catering for a major agenda draws a wider group of international event (such as the participants together. Olympics), implementing cultural strategies, or stimulating employment The vision and framework should set in the creative and media sectors. out what the town centre will look and feel like in ten year’s time and how the Changing times. Integration of evening and night-time concerns and partners collectively will get there. It issues with other aspects of the might include the type of economy to

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centre’s management including process. The second is to ensure that daytime management. their strategy supports and enhances the broader evening economy vision. Spatial. A consideration of how Where they exist, town-centre evening and night-time activities management partnerships and BIDs should be dispersed or clustered. will have a key role to play in this Infrastructure. Transport and process. There is a pressing need for accessibility. Maintenance and them to extend their interest and cleanliness. Design of the public capability beyond traditional trading realm. Safety and security. hours to include the evening and late- night economy. Public health. Reduction of alcohol and drug-related injuries and disease. The promotion of public safety. Step five: Evaluation of impact

Marketing, communication and The final act ion is to evaluate the image, including an open dialogue impact of the vis ion and the strategy, with stakeholders and others on what by selecting a few key indicators that the vision is, who it’s for and what it aims to achieve. may demonstrate to all that the town centre is getting better. For example:

Step three: “NightVision proofing” of We aim to see an increase in: strategies and plans The numbers of shops open in the evening. At the proofing stage the partnership, the agency and the team leading the The number of venues catering for process should ensure that every an older market or a family existing and new strategy is fully market. proofed, either before it goes live or when it comes up for review. The number of visitors from a specific geographical area.

Each strategy should be checked for The amount of live music and two things: first, is it promoting, entertainment. contributing to or delivering an aspect of the vision and, second, are any of The number of public buildings the actions within the strategy likely to open in the evening. cause further problems, or impede the realisation of the evening economy The frequency of special events vision? At the very least, no strategy and spectacles. should create additional problems. Ideally, they should come together to The provision of night buses. secure the common goal. The provision of night-time wardens. Step four: Action and delivery We aim to see a decrease in:

The resources n eed to be in place to Crime stat istics. make things ha ppen. The lead organisation should be satisfied that A&E admissions. executive officers within each team have the motivation and time to deliver Environmental health noise action in accordance with the vision disturbance. and strategy. The first requirement is Observational nuisance data. simply to be aware of the proofing

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7.6 Third imperative: Stage two: Crisis management integrated delivery and

management This involves multi-sector collaboration to overcome obvious and pressing “I have yet to meet anybody who problems; most likely to do with disagre es with the principle of partnership. policing, law and order and However the questions are - how do we enforcement. The operators we spoke make these partnerships more effective; to clearly understand the benefit of what are they for and what do they do? concentrating their limited time on There is a divide between those who are practical things that really affect their delivering and those who are not.” businesses and do not waste their time. Many also appreciate that Peter Matthew, Head of Liveability, cooperation in this could stave off DCLG (Referring specifically to local strategic partnerships) demands for more draconian controls, such as the designation of an Alcohol Disorder Zone. For all these reasons A learning curve this type of collaboration is the most common at present.

In terms of the management of the evening economy (and creating vibrant Shepherds Bush Bar Charter Group town centres more generally), the government, together with many other interested parties, has fostered the partnership approach. This is seen as a means of setting local priorities and coordinating delivery. While the potential of partnerships to deliver evening economy success is huge, current delivery remains patchy.

In reality, partnership can happen, or not, at many levels of complexity and sophistication. The skills need to be learned, trust established and the first successes savoured. There is a “learning curve” with four points or stages:

Stage one: Liaison

For all sorts of practical reasons, Shepherds Bush Bar Charter Group poster including their unorthodox working (Photo: Shepherds Bush Bar Charter Group) hours, night-time operators have been difficult to involve in partnerships. Most Following initial opposition from local licensing authorities now have residents over his company’s plans to licensing forums or a similar practical open a late-night live music venue in form of liaison to get feedback from Shepherds Bush, Director John licensees on policy and key concerns. Northcote drew up a Code of Practice This is a valuable first stage. for his venue, the Shepherds Bush Empire. This ultimately led to a positive working relationship with local

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specific budget and town-centre residents’ groups. However problems manager or team to implement the still occurred from other late-night programme on behalf of the venues that were run in a less partnership. responsible manner. John eventually invited managers of the offending venues to meet residents to work out Blackpool Nightsafe possible solutions. From this initial meeting the concept of the Bar Lancashire Constabulary (Western Charter Group was born. Division) has led a successful strategy to tackle alcohol-related The group developed a Good Practice crime, disorder and binge drinking at Charter with a commitment to a broad scale. improving the nightlife of Shepherds Bush with minimum negative impacts The plan is delivered through two on residents. The Charter covers partnerships - an internal partnership subjects such as refuse management, within the police force and an deliveries and collections, public external partnership that consists of safety and crime, management of two police officers, representatives licensed premises, street from the health service, the drugs management and traffic and visitor action team, fire and rescue services, parking. All bars in the area were the local council and the trading invited to sign up to the Charter. The standards service. group, consisting of representatives from residents’ groups, the police, the The police pursue different initiatives local council and licensees, meet with the appropriate partners - for every three months. All operators in example teaming up with the health the area are invited to attend services to tackle binge drinking and meetings. Even if they do not attend, liaising with the council's tourism all the pubs and bars around department on a campaign to remind Shepherds Bush are sent minutes of visitors to Blackpool that alcohol- the meetings. fuelled violence will not be tolerated.

The group has been very successful This approach has proved to be so in finding workable solutions for many effective that the idea is now being problems and it has created a positive adopted by other police forces in the dialogue between residents and the North West. licensed trade. Hammersmith and Fulham Borough Council have made Bolton Townsafe signing up to the Bar Charter a requirement when applying for a Bolton is one of the first areas in the license in the Borough. The concept country to apply the principle of town- of the Bar Charter Group has been centre management to the evening successfully replicated in other areas and night time with the Bolton Town Safe Partnership. The partnership of the country, including in Bath. combines representatives from the council’s Crime and Disorder Unit, the police, Bolton Town Centre Stage three: Integrated Company, the Greater Manchester management Passenger Transport Executive and other stakeholders. This typically involves the extension of the principle of town-centre The partnership decided to co- management into the evening and ordinate activities at night with the night. There is therefore likely to be a

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businesses vote yes (this must be appointment of an evening economy more than 50% of votes cast and 50% manager. Initially the post’s remit is of their rateable value) then the BID is to concentrate upon the reduction of successful and all businesses must crime and disorder at night but it is pay, regardless of whether they voted hoped that the post will develop to yes. It then stands for five years and encompass the promotional and can then be dissolved if it is developmental aspects of town- considered to have failed. centre management. The post is funded through the Local Authority BIDs are too recent in the UK to have Crime and Disorder Unit. been tested fully. However the framework bodes well. The financial stability that results from a regular Stage four: BIDs - ownership income allows five year plans to be and delivery created and followed through, in a way denied to the most effective town- centre management companies, or Our research suggests that business even to local authorities. Moreover the improvement di stricts (BIDs) will funds can be substantial. One of our become one of the most important interviewees had an annual budget for developments in town and city-centre his BID of £500,000, whilst larger management over the next five years London BIDs have secured figures in and beyond – particularly in the excess of £1m per annum. management of the evening economy, despite antagonism from some operators. Kingston First

The government’s aim for this US- Kingston First is the first BID formally imported concept is to inject greater to be established in the UK. It was private sector money into local launched on 1st January 2005. The regeneration and also to achieve partnership is made up of property greater business participation and owners, tenants, retail and leisure engagement. operators, the Chamber of Commerce, the education sector, the BIDs are created by outlining a local authority and 130 associate specific geographic area in which all stakeholders. The total rateable businesses will pay a small additional value of the BID area is £80 million. premium (usually around a 1% or 2% The night-time economy sector increase on their business rates). The makes up just 3% of this amount, reason they are proving popular with which produces £24,000 for the BID. business at the local level is because the business plan for the BID is based In the last year of operation the BID on the principle of additionality (i.e. has achieved significant specific services that are delivered in improvements in the street addition to normal council provision). environment, transport, safety and Also the management and review of footfall in Kingston town centre. the BID’s progress are all within the Some of the projects have been control of local businesses. For a BID specifically aimed at the management to be established a case must be of the evening economy. For made for improving something of value example, the BID helped to fund a to the business e.g. increasing footfall, marshalled taxi rank service on changing the profile of customers to a Friday and Saturday night over the more profitable one, increasing spend Christmas period. In 2006 Kingston per head. Then a vote with all First aims to continue improving the businesses is taken. If enough

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KEY POINTS management of both the night-time economy and the day-time economy within the BID area. It has allocated In this chapter we set out an approach £60,000 specifically to support the to creating “town centres for all” under evening economy. three Imperatives:

Planned projects include: 1. Control and customer care

Improving the availability of public Regain control and transform transport at night. standards of customer care. Make town centres hospitable and Improving the visible, uniformed welcoming: police presence in the town centre. Build a consensus for action based on fresh values. Ensuring that the town centre is cleaned between 10pm and Restore order via regulation and 12pm. enforcement.

Promote voluntary codes and standards. Encourage a stronger “BIDs are a key opportunity to leverage additional funding and some of the BIDs sense of responsibility across are doing th is specifically for the night- industry. time economy. Because it’s private money the council can use it to draw on, say, EU Empower the business and budgets – multiplying up private sector residential communities to act in money. BIDs need to go down the right support of the statutory agencies. corridors and unlock public money and they can then really maximise their Deliver higher standards of impact.” customer care.

Jon Collins, Chief Executive, Bar Entertainment and Dance Association Use place marketing to change perceptions.

7.7 Beyond BIDs? 2. Vision and strategy

Replace the policy vacuum with a It is early days and BIDs may well pos itive vision and strategy for a more need to focus on short-term business diverse future. Develop a new outcomes. It remains to be seen agenda, with the aim of ensuring a whether they have the scope to greater balance of venues, more embrace the broader diversity issues variety, choice and accessibility for all. for example, or the range of actions more concerned with longer-term Undertake a diversity audit, to sustainability of a town centre. The include both an appraisal of the quote from Jon Collins, above, centre as a destination and indicates a possible way forward with research into consumer BID money levering in other funds to perceptions and aspirations. tackle the broader agenda described in this report. Develop a comprehensive vision for a more diverse and inclusive town centre, drawing together the views of all the interested parties.

98 The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Setting Standards, Delivering Success

Co-ordinate all relevant policies by i Tuckman B 1965 ‘Developmental sequence carrying out the “NightVision in small groups’ Psychological Bulletin 63 Proofing” of strategies and plans. ii Jacobs J Death and Life of Great American Cities (Modern Library) (Hardcover) Ensure the resources are in place iii www.beerandpub.com to implement the vision and to maintain coordinated action.

Evaluate the impact of the strategy against targets and indicators.

3. Partnership and delivery

Integrate all the relevant management functions. Encourage all interests to take responsibility. Extend the scope of town-centre management and Business Improvement Districts into the evening and late night. Progress along the four stages of the “partnership learning curve”.

Stage one: liaison. Liaison between operators and others to ensure swift feedback and action on specific concerns such as antisocial behaviour or litter and practical measures to address these, such as better lighting or re- rostering cleansing contracts.

Stage two: crisis management. Multi-sector collaboration at all levels to overcome obvious and pressing problems – such as a loss of control or the threat of the imposition of an Alcohol Disorder Zone for example.

Stage three: integrated management. Extension of town- centre management into the evening and night with a specific budget and town-centre manager or team.

Stage four: BIDs – ownership and delivery. A dedicated budget and a mature mechanism for delivering specific services in addition to normal council provision.

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The Civic Trust NightVision Town Centres for All Appendices

APPENDICES

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Appendix 1: Civic Trust Research Reports

Purpose of the Survey: To find out National Survey Evening and from operators of pubs, nightclubs, Night-time Activities in restaurants and cinemas the following: England What perceptions operators have of the management of town and city centres, specifically in relation Date of the Report: December 2003 to the early and late evening.

Authors: Professor Marion Roberts What impact the Licensing Act and Dr Galina Gornostaeva, University 2003 may have on their business, of Westminster and Hannah as well as their location. Mummery, The Civic Trust What corporate policies or Purpose of the survey: To establish attitudes they have on important the first national picture of how local matters such as safety, crime, authorities were experiencing their antisocial behaviour, litter and evening and late-night economies, cleanliness, and transport late at what problems and benefits flowed night. from any expansion, how well authorities were prepared for the Whether they are involved or implementation of the Licensing Act interested in local partnerships. 2003 and what benefits and challenges they thought the Act would Good practice and ideas that they bring. feel have a national relevance.

Methodology: A three-page paper Methodology: 36 operators of survey was posted to all 383 local national and regional chains of authorities in England. restaurants, pubs, nightclubs, bars, cinemas and supermarkets were Participants: 89 local authorities asked by letter to take part in (23% of those surveyed) replied, telephone interviews. representing a wide geographical spread. Participants: 23 operators, representing 17,554 night-time venues, agreed to be interviewed as part of the survey.

Survey of National and Regional Operators

Hotspots Research

Date of the Report: September 2005

Authors: Professor Marion Roberts and Dr Adam Eldridge, University of Date of the Report: November 2005 Westminster Authors: Professor Marion Roberts and Dr Adam Eldridge, University of Westminster

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Purpose of the Research: To Around the Clock: Inclusive examine how company policies on good practice and responsible service Town Centres Survey translate into actual day-to-day practice.

Date of the Report: October 2005 Methodology: Following site visits, five towns from across England were Author: Hannah Mummery, The Civic chosen for their varied experiences Trust and problems and face-to-face interviews were held with local Purpose of the Research: To stakeholders. determine which local authorities have

developed, or are in the process of Participants: Venue managers, developing, a strategy for a more licencees, police, licensing officers, inclusive evening/night economy and town-centre management, partnership how they are implementing policies to groups and, where possible, residents’ attract and retain a more balanced and groups in each of the five locations. varied clientele for their town and city

centres.

. Methodology: A three-page printed

survey was sent to a 185 local Opportunities Review: Authorities in England, selected for Consumers and Products of their well-developed evening Tomorrow economies. The survey was also placed on the Civic Trust website.

Participants: Replies were received Date of the Report: November 2005 from 30 local authorities, representing a good geographical spread. Author: Alistair Turnham, Erskine Corporation

Purpose of the Research: To investigate the challenges and Out on the Town: A Survey opportunities of creating more diverse of Attitudes to Going Out evening economies in our town centres. Amongst 18 to 35 year-olds

Methodology: Desk research of current policy, academic thought Date of the Report: March 2006 policy, academic thought, best practice in the evening economy, as well as Author: Hannah Mummery, The Civic population and consumer trends. Trust

Participants: Interviews with 20 Purpose of the Research: To find out stakeholders in the evening economy current attitudes to going out at night from local authority officers to urban amongst the 18 to 35 age group. To designers, bar owners and civil assess what factors prevent this age servants. group from using town centres and

what services they would like to see

developed.

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Methodology: A three-page survey emailed to individuals and representative groups. The survey was also placed on the Civic Trust website and this was publicised.

Participants: There were 210 replies from across the country, representing all ages within the 18 to 35 group.

After Dark: Perceptions of ‘Going Out’ in Town Centres at Night

Date of the Report: March 2006

Authors: Professor Marion Roberts and Dr Adam Eldridge, University of Westminster.

Purpose of the Research: To find out why many people do not use town centres in the evening and at night.

Methodology: Four focus groups were set up in five different locations across the country to explore people’s perceptions, attitudes and aspirations.

Participants: The groups consisted of young workers under 30, older residents, people with young children and a location-specific group.

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Appendix 2: The Evening Economy Proofing Model

Author: Alistair Turnham, Erskine Corporation

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Appendix 3: Acknowledgements

AUTHORS ADVISORY PANEL

Paul Davies Alex Bax The Civic Trust Greater London Authority

Hannah Mummery Matthew Bennett The Civic Trust Open all Hours Group/Soho Society

Jon Collins CONTRIBUTORS Bar Entertainment and Dance Association (BEDA) Alistair Turnham Erskine Corporation LLP Alana Diamond The Home Office Professor Marion Roberts Central Cities Institute, University of Nigel Dotchin Westminster Department of Transport

Dr Adam Eldridge Susanna Fitzgerald QC Central Cities Institute, University of Barrister at Law Westminster Tim Hammond TGI Fridays FUNDING Billy Kayada The research was supported by a DCLG grant from the DCLG’s (formerly known as ODPM) Special Grants Rebecca Linley Programme Museums, Libraries and Archives Council Main sponsors Graham McNally BCSC Educational Trust Kingston Town Centre Management Land Securities plc Institute of Alcohol Studies John McNamara Grosvenor British Institute of Inn Keeping (Bii)

Other sponsors Andrew McNeill St George plc Institute of Alcohol Studies British Institute of Innkeeping (Bii) Luminar Leisure Andrew Martin Westminster City Council BCSC Educational Trust

Chris Poulton Greater London Authority

Emilie Rapley Institute of Alcohol Studies

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Paul Reardon London Borough of Kingston upon Thames

Peter Scutt Land Securities

Jonathan Smith The Home Office

Andy Such Business in Sport and Leisure

Keith Thorpe DCLG

Dr Sarah Webb Bath and North East Somerset Council

Yvonne Wells Land Securities

Richard Wright BCSC Educational Trust

Charmaine Young St George plc

We would also like to thank all the local authorities, businesses and individuals who contributed time and expertise to this project.

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