Newcastle's Late Night Levy Ends, Replaced by an NE1-Run Safety Fund

Newcastle's Late Night Levy has come to an end. Full council voted to revoke it on Wednesday 7 October, and the scheme closed on 31 October. Instead, a night-time safety fund will be run by NE1, the city centre's business improvement district, with the council's backing.

What the levy was

The levy was introduced in 2013. Licensed premises open after midnight paid between £299 and £4,400 a year each. In total that came to more than £215,000 a year, and almost £3.5 million over 13 years. The money paid for policing, street cleaning, CCTV, street and taxi marshals, the Safe Haven van in the Bigg Market, and training for venue staff.

No new levy bills will be issued. Businesses with unpaid bills from the previous year must still settle them.

How the new fund will work

The replacement fund will be about £216,000 a year, the same as the levy raised in its last full financial year. NE1 will set up a new governance board to manage it. The money will be split, with £151,000 going to the Police and Crime Commissioner for policing and £65,000 to the council. The board can also consider applications from voluntary groups that promote late-night safety, especially those working to tackle violence against women and girls.

Best for: The Late Night Levy ended on 31 October 2026. Outstanding bills from the previous year still have to be paid.

The arguments on both sides

Council leader Cllr Colin Ferguson said the levy had outlived its purpose and placed an unfair burden on a small number of licensed venues. NE1 and Northumbria Police both backed the new arrangement. The licensed trade also supported the change: Caterer & Licensee reported that 281 premises were paying the levy, and that 93% of respondents from the licensed trade backed abolishing it.

Others were worried about what the change could mean for safety. Before the vote, a resident asked for binding guarantees that the money would continue, saying any change to the funding "potentially puts our safety at risk", as reported by Brit Brief. Cabinet member Cllr Owen Burbidge said funding would stay at the same level as the previous year.

The decision was announced by Newcastle City Council.