People in Nottingham city centre were divided over where the city offered a good night out as new data suggests it's the 27th best place to go in the UK. That places Nottingham below places such as Telford, which ranks 2nd, Ipswich and, unfortunately, Derby.
Get Licensed, which runs SIA and security training courses, has analysed data and put together an index of the best places to go. The data analyses the population, bars, clubs and pubs per 100,000 people, the price of a beer, a safety index score, worries of being mugged, robbed or a victim of a violent hate crime and safety walking home at night to then determine an overall score.
Nottingham's overall night out score out of 10 is 5.04, the last place over the score of 5. The data suggests York (7.67) is the best to go on a night out, with Telford (7.56) a close second and Warrington (6.97) some way off in third.
In Nottingham, the data says there are 45.54 bars and clubs per 100,000 people, 145.60 pubs per 100,000 people, and the average price of a pint in Nottingham is £3.78. The most bars and clubs per 100,000 is in Plymouth with 77.95, the most pubs per 100,000 people is in Huddersfield with 305.99, and the cheapest average price for a pint is in Telford at £2.60.
The Numbeo safety index score out of 100 for Nottingham is 49.22, and the safety walking at night score, also out of 100, is 41.15. Higher figures are better here, and the highest in both of these categories is York, with a safety index score of 75.35 and a safety walking score of 75.87.
Worries of being mugged or robbed are rated out of 100, and Nottingham has a score of 50.94 for this, compared to top spot York having a score of 17.02 (lower numbers here are better). Again out of 100, in terms of worries of being a victim of a violent hate crime, Nottingham's score is 36.18, and York, again in the top spot, has a rating of 12.12. 50 places were ranked in total, with Coventry coming in last place. Derby was in 19th while Leicester was just below Nottingham at 28.
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Speaking to members of the public in the city centre, some do not enjoy going out in Nottingham at all. Isabelle Sharpe, 24, a support worker from Mansfield Woodhouse, said: "I haven't been out in Nottingham in a long time, and I prefer not to, as I find it quite rough and you get a lot more harassment here. It's good for quiet bars, but in terms of clubs, it's a lot more rowdier and a bit intense.
"I'd rather go out in quieter towns like Mansfield, or Lincoln where I used to live. I think even before the incidents of spiking, having gone out in Nottingham for around 5 years, I don't feel safe here at all. I can have a good time, but always feel a bit on edge here."
Jay Smith, 19, who's from Derby, said: "Sometimes it's alright, you do get a lot of idiots and people who get way too drunk though. I don't really feel safe when I'm out in Nottingham.
"Going out to a nightclub is expensive, and you have to pay a large amount before you can even get in anywhere. I think Nottingham should be lower than 27th, but I'm from Derby and I'd say it's a much better night out there than here."
Some had different views on enjoying a night out in the city, though. Samuel Kinderman, 19, who works in the tax office, said: "Every night I've had in Nottingham has been a mad one. It's alright apart from some violence you see in the city, apart from that it's always fun.
"The clubs are decent, and there is not a club in the city I wouldn't go to, compared to Leeds where there's about 20 I wouldn't go to. I wouldn't have thought Nottingham would be rated that low in the rankings.
"I wouldn't say I always feel safe though. It's a cheap place to go out though."
Danny Draper, 18, a student from Ilkeston, said: "It's a good place to go out, it's not the best but it's local and there are some good places you can go. Everything is close to each other, so you can go from place to place.
"Compared to other places, such as York or London though, it's much nicer. But it's still fun here with the right people. I feel safe on a night out, I wouldn't go out just myself but that's anywhere. If you're in a group of people, with some good mates, I'd say so."
Josh Woodhouse, 23, an online events organiser from Long Eaton, said: "I tend to feel safe going out in Nottingham, but I'm a quite young white male, so I tend to be OK. Nottingham is nice sometimes, and I don't go out too often, but there are some nice places around.
"It's not my favourite, but I like it a decent amount. There are a few nice bars around."
And others absolutely love it. Laura Gosling, 29, who's a teaching assistant, said: "I enjoy going out in Nottingham, there's nowhere better. I've lived in London before yet I still prefer it here.
"There are plenty of good transport links too, and there are so many good places to go to. I would say Nottingham should definitely be higher than 27th.
"I feel safe when I'm out, I've never had any issues. With the pricing, there's enough variety where if you have more to spend, you can, and there are places you can go where it's cheaper."
James Thomas, 31, a security guard from Nottingham, said: "I do like going out but most of the time, I'm working on the door when it comes to night-time. It's always a great place to go out though.
"I'd say it's a safe place to go out. Working in security is something I've done my whole life, and I'd say Nottingham is a safe place."
Alex Flint, CEO of Nottingham Business Improvement District (BID) commented: "Nottingham BID supports a wide range of initiatives to help create a pleasant and safe city centre environment through our Managed City stream of delivery. This includes providing funding to the Nottingham Street Pastors as well as leading on the Purple Flag accreditation scheme for the city, which Nottingham was recently awarded for the thirteenth consecutive year. The scheme gives national recognition that Nottingham city centre provides a vibrant mix of entertainment while promoting the safety and wellbeing of visitors and local residents.
"Over the past six months we have worked with city centre partners in a strategy to tackle violence against women and girls and deliver practical solutions to reduce the vulnerability of women visiting the city’s night-time economy. Partners have pulled together to deliver a vital safety project with some very bright, bold and brazen messaging. The safety of women and girls is a top priority for the city and the launch of the landmark Safe Space Pledge in the city is another example of commitment and determination to make Nottingham a better place for a great night out.
"The Safe Space Pledge has been made part of the Best Bar None Nottingham accreditation, which shows a real and lasting commitment to creating a safer environment for women and girls in our city."
"Nottingham is a brilliant place for a night out and the wonderful pubs, restaurants, bars, music venues, theatres and other night-time destinations in our city deserve our support, and along with the efforts of city centre partners, everyone can be sure of a warm and safe welcome.”
