Access All Areas March 2019 | Page 13

MARCH | TRENDING Top left: XOYO Bottom left: Corsica Studios Top right: Warm Street’s Robin Shaw Bottom right: NTIA’s Alan Miller to recognition by police and councils that mobile phone losses on insurance and police crime statistic reports should not be used against venues as them being responsible - to more broadly having a Night Time Commission and Music Board with Mayor of London, a newly appointed Night Time Economy Adviser for Manchester (Sacha Lord), a Night Time Commission in Glasgow and a new Commission in Bristol. “We have consistently strived to ensure partnership and collaboration with all stakeholders so that licensing councillors, police, BID’s, residents and visitors all understand the enormous value of both night and day licensed premises to the area. This is vital to proper management and the ongoing health of towns and cities up and down the country.” Hackney, which should be a prime candidate for flourishing night activity with its craft beer pubs, street food markets and nightclubs, has suffered from resident issues. The local borough council has approved plans for ‘core’ curfews of midnight at weekends and 11pm during the week for all new venues, with the onus on businesses to prove they will not have a negative impact on the area if they want to open later. It also plans to double the size of the Shoreditch’s ‘special policy area’ within which venues must show they will not add to anti-social behaviour, crime and noise. Other parts of the country are more proactive towards nighttime happenings. Claudia Moore, chief operations officer at Weymouth BID, supports Best Bar None, an Accreditation Scheme supported by the Home Office and the drinks industry which is aimed primarily at promoting responsible management and operation of alcohol licensed premises. Meanwhile, Robin Shaw, co-founder, Warm Street, meanwhile, tells Access that scenes are still finding ways to survice and thrive. “Don’t believe the hype! London’s club scene is an amorphous entity which has always been driven by the incredible subcultures bubbling underground out of the mainstream eye. “The scene may seem to be dying in areas like Shoreditch or West Hackney whilst it’s kicking off in another Hackney Wick, Tottenham Hale and Canning Town. “We’ve always told the brands we work with (like Red Bull) to focus on what’s coming next, avoid following the crowd and if you see it in the mainstream media you’re too late. Don’t be fooled, our city is as creative as ever. You just have to know where to look.” 13