Chair of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) and one of the UK’s leading voices for the night time economy, Sacha Lord visited Parliament yesterday (April 28) to give evidence to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Night Time Economy.
As temperatures are forecast to reach 28 degrees in what is predicted to be the hottest week of the year so far, Lord will met with MPs to urgently call for the fast-tracking of pavement licensing across councils, warning that failure to act will choke the hospitality sector at a critical time.
The call comes as recent figures from brewery JW Lees show trading across pubs with beer gardens has surged, putting the brewery up an average of 49% during hot days this month.
Lord, the former Night Time Economy Adviser for Greater Manchester and a long-time campaigner for the sector, says excessive red tape and delays to approving pavement licensing for venues risks undermining the boost in outdoor trade that operators desperately need, and will urge MPs to pressure local authorities to remove unnecessary barriers and support the hospitality industry through the crucial summer months.
Speaking ahead of the meeting in the House of Commons, Sacha Lord said,
“We have overwhelming evidence that pubs with outdoor spaces to eat, drink, and socialise perform better than those without, yet there are still barrier after barrier preventing venues from easily accessing these opportunities. If we want to improve tourism, support hospitality and increase economic growth, then we must begin with easing up on the red tape and delays which are hammering our pubs, bars and restaurants at the very moment they should be thriving.”