The man responsible for iconic venues The Nightingale and The Village Inn is now Birmingham’s first ever night-life champion and will bolster the city’s evening economy, chiefs claim. Bars, clubs, pubs, theatres, gig venues, and more now have an official advocate to boost opportunities and try to make the city a safer, more enjoyable place to visit at night.
The role has previously been adopted in London and Manchester, and now it has fallen to businessman and Birmingham Pride director, Lawrence Barton, to do the same in the second city. As managing director of work training provider GB Training Ltd, Mr Barton oversaw the company’s move into hospitality, opening The Village Inn and The Nightingale - now mainstay’s of the city’s gay scene.
Mr Barton also has the role of Leadership Commissioner for the West Midlands Combined Authority, and is described as an entrepreneur.
He 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 future-proof 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.”
Councillor Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “We’ve been clear in 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.”
Mr Barton will take up his role as Night-Time Economy Champion subject to completion of the council’s decision-making process.
“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.” Lawrence Barton
