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One of the key aspects of this Strategy is to acknowledge that the night time economy is changing, and has been for some time.
Research undertaken by the GLA found that 1.6 million Londoners work in the night time in a range of industries, including healthcare and deliveries (not just hospitality), which is over a third of the capital’s workforce. 65% of Londoners are active at night, working, socialising, running personal errands, attending cultural activities and playing sport, requiring a range of uses and services around this.
Wandsworth is estimated to have a night time workforce of 112,000. Based on estimates for the size of London’s Night Time Economy, this suggests that of the borough is worth at least £1bn per annum (around 10% of the borough’s Gross Value Added). People of all ages now want a wider variety of uses, affordability, and more than just bars and clubs to attract them to the borough’s high streets.
As our high streets evolve post Covid-19 Pandemic, our aspiration is to offer diversity in the high street experience during the night time, whilst supporting our existing businesses that make the night time what it is.
More uses
- You want more culture, community facilities, music venues and restaurants in the night time
- Some people want more late night pubs in areas where this is lacking
- Live events and licensing difficult as they come with a lot of challenges but need to support London’s music scene and young up-and-coming artists. Venues need to be recognised for their efforts rather than restricted.
- More creative, flexible community events / spaces are needed
- Later opening hours in quiet places could generate more evening activity and create a flood of light onto pavement at no extra cost or design
- The night should not just be about drinking alcohol
Working together, creatively
- Existing venues and bars should operate as more than just one use i.e if there is no performance in the evening their bars could still be open
- Support businesses outside of hospitality too, need a balanced approach
- There are currently no LGBTQI+ venues in Wandsworth and it is hard to gauge which venues are LGBTQI+ friendly
- Licensing needs to be managed carefully to ensure late night spots are placed in the most appropriate places
- There should be exceptions for opening hours during special events, i.e during Ramadan shops stay open until 1am in Whitechapel and similar exceptions should be made in Wandsworth
- You want to know what cultural and live events are happening at night
- There needs to be a space for people, including old and young people, to continue conversations and share ideas around place
Use of outdoor spaces
- Parks could be used for more family orientated events i.e outdoor cinema. This would bring early evening trade into areas, benefitting surrounding businesses (Battersea Park already does this).
- Green spaces are good places to seed the arts and attract young people
Rising bills
- Cost of eating out has risen and there is a real concern for the hospitality industry. Restaurants have seen more of a reduction in customer numbers than pubs
- Could try to bring people out on cold evenings so they do not need to have heating on
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