Hackney's Late Night Levy Funds Police, Training, and Initiatives to Combat Violence Against Women and Girls

Hackney's Late Night Levy (LNL) continues to fund vital services, including police, security training, and initiatives to combat violence against women and girls, according to the Licensing Service Annual Report 2023/24 and 2024/25 discussed at the Hackney Council Licensing Committee meeting on Wednesday 16 July 2025.

The Late Night Levy allows Hackney Council to charge an additional levy to premises licensed to sell alcohol late at night, specifically between 00:01 and 06:00. The funds generated are then reinvested into initiatives that support the night-time economy and address issues associated with it.

According to the minutes of the previous meeting held on 21 May 2025, total receipts in Levy Year 6 amounted to £492,539, compared to £492,277 in Levy Year 5. A large proportion of the expenditure, £181,000, goes to the Met Police. A significant proportion is also spent on salaries, recruitment, equipment, and administration. These costs include the late-night levy manager's salary, administration, equipment such as cameras and two radios, and recruitment for CCTV management. Separate movable cameras were used for Hackney Nights which were moved dependent on trends and issues within the Night Time Economy areas.

David Tuitt, Business Regulation Team Leader, updated the committee on the progress of various initiatives funded by the LNL. These include:

• Training for nightlife and security staff, with over 200 individuals receiving training on topics such as the Ask for Angela scheme.
• Collaboration between Hackney Nights, Hackney Youth, and the Domestic Abuse Intervention Service to distribute leaflets with information on violence against women and girls.

To ensure the evening and night-time economy strategy reflects the needs of all residents, Hackney Youth were engaged as part of the campaign against violence on women and girls. They were also invited to a night forum to share their views on what young people are interested in for the upcoming strategy. The plan is to continue to engage with young people.

The Late Night Levy Board met in January to discuss trading during the Christmas period, forward planning, and agreeing future spends.

Ask for Angela continues to be very effective in Hackney due to regular WAVE (Welfare and Vulnerability Engagement training) training and its inclusion in the accreditation scheme, with close work with the police.