Birmingham City Council has appointed the owner of some of the city’s most famous nightlife venues as its first Night-Time Economy Champion.
Southside BID chair Lawrence Barton, whose businesses include The Nightingale Club and The Loft, will use the role to unite stakeholders and pile pressure on central government over key issues.
This includes the rising costs of energy after the new Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt announced a review of the government’s support for businesses struggling to pay bills, leading many to worry firms will be left out in the cold.
Hunt’s Autumn Statement on November 17th is expected to announce a series of public sector cuts, with media reports suggesting taxes will go up across the board.
Rocketing inflation and bills are already having a significant impact on the hospitality sector, with recent research showing 50 pubs are closing every month.
Other research from earlier this year found Britain has 20 per cent fewer nightclubs than when the country first went into lockdown in March 2020.
In his role as Night-Time Economy Champion, Barton will create a night-time economy panel, similar to the one established by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
Experts from the council, Night Time Industry Association, Pubwatch, and Transport for West Midlands will be invited onto the panel, which will develop a plan to make the city-region’s nightlife stronger, safer, better-connected and even more attractive to visitors.
Barton has already been endorsed by the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police Sir David Thompson, the Lord-Lieutenant of the West Midlands John Crabtree OBE, chief executive of Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Louise Bennett OBE, and restaurant franchise chief executive Doug Wright MBE.
Barton will also be holding listening events with night-time economy workers to get a firm grip on the issues they face, with a chance for the employees to put forward their own possible improvements to the night-time economy.
West Midlands Combined Authority has announced it too is looking to recruit a night-time economy advisor – demonstrating the severity of the challenges which businesses are facing.
Commenting on his new appointment, Lawrence Barton said:
“I’m eager to get started as Night-Time Economy Champion. There’s a pressing need for action on the serious challenges facing venue operators. Not least the spiralling price of utilities, the need to recruit and retain high-quality staff, and the problems which clubs such as mine encounter from encroaching residential developments.
“I intend to take a holistic approach to drawing up the plan to protect and enhance the city’s nightlife. This means bringing together all the key stakeholders – including the police, business owners, and employees – to come up with a design which will futureproof our night-time economy so it can be enjoyed for years to come.
“What I really need now is for those stakeholders to get onboard with what we’re doing. There’s not a moment to waste.”
Birmingham City Council leader Councillor Ian Ward commented:
“In Labour’s manifesto A New Deal for Birmingham, we set out our commitment to help our night-time economy to thrive by appointing a Night-Time Economy champion.
“Lawrence is a fantastic advocate for our city and has done so much to promote Pride and the Gay Village. I look forward to working closely with him in his new role as we work to make Birmingham’s Night-Time Economy more enjoyable and safer for everyone, right across our city.”
Nicola Fleet-Milne, CEO of FleetMilne and Chair of Colmore Business District, said:
“Birmingham’s vibrant night life has been going from strength to strength for many years. Like most industries, it has had a challenging two years, working to get through and recover from the Pandemic. The Chairs of the City Centre BIDs are supportive of this initiative to give real focus to our night-time economy, and Lawrence, with his passion and wealth of experience, is the right person to drive this agenda on behalf of the city as a whole.”
