NTIA Seeks Legal Advice On Businesses Marginalised From Rates Support

The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has confirmed it is seeking legal advice following continued government signalling, through media briefings rather than formal policy announcements, that upcoming business rates relief may be limited to pubs, while excluding large parts of the night-time economy. With no confirmed details released, businesses across the sector remain trapped in a cycle of leaks, speculation, and second-guessing, leaving thousands of livelihoods in limbo as the industry awaits an imminent government announcement.

Industry leaders warn that this ongoing uncertainty is causing serious mental, financial, and operational harm to business owners and workers, many of whom are already under extreme pressure. The NTIA says this approach is not just damaging, but deeply irresponsible when people’s jobs, businesses, and mental wellbeing are on the line.

Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, said:
“The constant second-guessing and drip-fed communication we are seeing from government is not benign,  it is mental torture for thousands of business owners and the people working within our sector. When livelihoods are at stake, this level of uncertainty is cruel and unnecessary. You cannot talk about getting young people into work while simultaneously destabilising the very industries that employ them.”

Kill added that the suggestion this issue relates only to pubs is misleading and risks marginalising huge swathes of the night-time economy, including nightclubs, live music venues, theatres, casinos, bars, late-night restaurants, and cultural spaces.

“What makes one business category more deserving of support than another? Pubs are important, but they are only one part of a much wider ecosystem. These venues rely on each other to survive. Dividing the sector in this way is not reform, it is discrimination by design, and we are now seeking legal advice on the government’s apparent position to marginalise large parts of our industry. If support is narrowly targeted while others are knowingly left to fail, this will be met with a robust response.”

Business rates across the night-time economy are forecast to rise by an average of 76%, with half of venues facing increases of 50% or more, and many operators bracing for rises of between 100% and 200% from April 2026. Independent venues are particularly exposed, with little financial resilience left after years of cumulative economic pressure.

Sacha Lord, Chair of the Night Time Industries Association, said:
“This uncertainty is exhausting and deeply damaging. Businesses cannot plan, invest, or retain staff when policy is leaked one day and contradicted the next. Supporting pubs alone while leaving the rest of the sector exposed would be totally unfair and economically reckless. Small independent restaurants, clubs, venues, and cultural spaces are already closing in droves, this approach risks accelerating that collapse.”

Across the UK, real-world examples highlight the scale of the crisis, with nightclubs facing rates increases of over 120%, independent theatres seeing their bills more than double, casinos anticipating 100% rises, and bars, restaurants, and music venues reporting increases of up to 200%. These increases threaten not just individual businesses, but entire local ecosystems of employment, supply chains, and cultural activity.

“These are not abstract figures,” Kill added. “They represent real people, real jobs, and real communities. Prolonged uncertainty inflicts emotional and psychological damage as well as financial harm.”

The NTIA is calling on the government to urgently provide clarity and apply any business rates intervention fairly and consistently across the entire night-time economy. Industry leaders warn that failure to do so risks widespread job losses, particularly among young and creative workers,  the collapse of independent cultural venues, long-term damage to the UK’s creative infrastructure, and erosion of the UK’s global reputation for nightlife and culture.

The message from the sector is clear: this is not just about pubs. It is about fairness, livelihoods, and mental wellbeing. April 2026 is fast approaching, and if the government continues down a path that marginalises large parts of the night-time economy, the NTIA will continue to challenge that position, including through legal scrutiny.