logo
Almost 1,000 night businesses shut in East of England in five years

Almost 1,000 night businesses shut in East of England in five years

BBC News3 days ago
Almost 1,000 night-time businesses have closed in the East of England in the past five years, according to the Night Time Industries Association.The organisation said in March 2020 there were 7,033 bars, clubs and restaurants across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex and Norfolk - but as of June this year that number had dropped to 6,042.Sports bar Walkabout and nearby Nightclub Popworld in Chelmsford both announced that they were closing their doors permanently, while Mossy's Nightclub in Lowestoft closed for good in July.Michael Kill, CEO of the association, said: "We are extremely worried, we definitely know that the late-night economy has been hit very hard."
Mr Kill said there were many factors to venues shutting, such as rising operational costs, safety, transport and people lacking a disposable income.He added that a work-from-home culture also led to people being less likely to visit pubs or restaurants on their lunch breaks with their colleagues."We have challenges with travel infrastructure post 11 pm, post midnight," he said. "Safety is a real issue; less police are on the street, and there are more concerns, particularly around the safety of women and girls."There are lots of issues, not just fiscal."
'Young people aren't clubbing'
Steve Jason, who has run Peterborough nightclub and venue The Met Lounge since 1999, said there was a lack of interest from young people about going out.He said: "The average age of our club night is probably 30, the majority of clubbing should be 18 to 21 year olds."In the past, the venue was filled with young fans of musicians such as Nirvana, Oasis and The Prodigy. But more recently, the club has put on themed events, such as Disney nights, to draw people in."Nowadays there's no such thing as a club regular... Now we have to diversify and think of different nights because nobody goes to a club four weekends running."
"You speak to a lot of businesses, and they say 'oh, it's the cost of living', but no, it's not, Mr Jason said."They're making excuses... A youngster who's 18 years old probably has a subscription for this, a subscription for that- it takes away his or her money."He said young people choose to spend their money differently and saved for big events such as festivals over regular nights out. "Now they're paying for them over six months at £50 a month and that's one festival... You haven't got the money then to do anything else," he added.
'Not enough help'
Paul Milsom is the managing director of Milsom Hotels and Restaurants - a family-run business since 1952 with venues in Essex and Suffolk.He blamed Brexit, Covid and the cost of living on creating "challenging times" since 2016.He said: "The challenges economically on all of our businesses are very similar."You have got to be positive to be in our game. But politically, we are not getting much help from anyone."I don't think the industry spends a lot of time crying out for more help; what it actually needs is less intervention by government and less tax burden."A HM Treasury spokesperson told the BBC the government intends to introduce permanently low tax rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties from next year."We are a pro-business government that is creating a fairer business rates system to protect the high street, support investment, and level the playing field," they added.
'People drink less'
Luke Hinton is the director of Juicebox Live, a music promotion company in Hertfordshire.The business books all the live music at venues such as Hertford Corn Exchange and The Horn in St Albans.He said: "We've been in a fortunate position that we've actually seen an increase in attendance year on year since Covid, but we've noticed that spend per head has decreased at both our venues. "People are spending less, whether it's a health reason or people are generally spending less when they go out, they may be pre-drinking, but I think there is definitely a change in people's behaviours"
In August 2024, fans rallied to save Club 85 in Hitchin from closure and redevelopment into flats after the landlord retired. Although the venue is now open until the end of 2025 while its future is negotiated, Mr Hinton warned that many similar venues have already shut due to town centre developments."There's been development, lots of housing and flats in town centres, which then obviously doesn't translate into a positive for nightlife because then the noise complaints come in," he explained.Mr Hinton remained hopeful that people would return to venues if they saw the important role they played in the community.He said: "It's about going out and being around people. I think that's the thing that humans should do, generally, is be in contact with others and socialise."I think that those places and hospitality places are a hub of that."
Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Thai chain created by Wagamama founder collapses into administration
Thai chain created by Wagamama founder collapses into administration

Daily Mail​

time21 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

Thai chain created by Wagamama founder collapses into administration

A popular restaurant chain created by Wagamama founder Alan Yau has become the latest hospitality business to fall into administration. Busaba Eathai drafted in administrators from Leonard Curtis earlier this month, potentially marking the beginning of the end for the 25-year-old group, Companies House documents show. At its peak, the chain had 16 restaurants before financial difficulties forced it to cut back to 12 in 2020. It blamed the loss on higher costs, weaker London footfall owing to the cost of living crisis, and 'summer-wide disruption caused by industrial action on train and tube network'. Busaba is the latest hospitality firm to face financial troubles as the sector shoulders a huge increase in employment costs after hikes to national insurance contributions and the living wage earlier this year. Hospitality firms also face higher energy costs, while the industry says business rates are too high.

Railroad operator Union Pacific's quarterly profit rises
Railroad operator Union Pacific's quarterly profit rises

Reuters

time21 hours ago

  • Reuters

Railroad operator Union Pacific's quarterly profit rises

July 24 (Reuters) - Union Pacific (UNP.N), opens new tab reported a rise in its second-quarter profit on Thursday, powered by robust demand for bulk and industrial shipments through multiple modes of transportation. The company's bulk shipments, which consists of grain products, fertilizer, coal and renewables, accounted for 32% of total freight revenues in 2024. Union Pacific, seen as a bellwether for the U.S. economy, has, however, benefited from strong volumes in its grain and grain products segments following a strong harvest season. The company's quarterly profit rose to $3.15 per share, from $2.74 per share, a year earlier. The West Coast rail giant has reportedly been in early-stage talks with its East Coast peer, Norfolk Southern (NSC.N), opens new tab, to explore a cross-continental railroad merger, possibly creating a single-line network stretching from coast to coast.

Wakefield pavement cafes allowed outdoor seating until midnight
Wakefield pavement cafes allowed outdoor seating until midnight

BBC News

timea day ago

  • BBC News

Wakefield pavement cafes allowed outdoor seating until midnight

Businesses in Wakefield will be able to serve outdoor food and drink later at night in a move which would help the city "feel alive after dark".Wakefield Council has approved extended opening hours for pavement cafes across the district, allowing them to open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays instead of 22: new opening hours will be in place until June next year when they could be made permanent, the licensing meeting was Hemingway, the council's cabinet member for regeneration and economic growth, said it was a "welcome move" and something hospitality venues had been asking for. The committee voted unanimously in favour of the changes at a meeting on Wednesday, according to the Local Democracy Reporting move was supported by the council's city centre management group Wakefield Business Improvement District (BID) and Daniel Wilton, the council's cabinet member for were told a consultation, to involve the public, police and environmental health officers, would be carried out over the to figures in February this year, there were 51 active pavement cafe licences recorded in the district, including 37 in Wakefield, seven in Pontefract and two in Wales, chief executive of Wakefield BID, said: "This is a really positive step forward for Wakefield."Extending outdoor trading hours gives our hospitality businesses the flexibility they've been asking for and helps create a more sociable, welcoming city centre in the evenings."It's a small change with a big impact - supporting jobs, boosting business, and helping Wakefield feel alive after dark." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store