Newcastle has been urged to follow Nottingham’s lead in scrapping “unfair” charges on late-night pubs, bars and clubs.
Tyneside venues that serve alcohol after midnight have been made to pay an annual levy of up to £4,400 to council bosses since 2013. But, after the East Midlands city axed its scheme in order to reduce the financial burden on businesses trying to recover from the devastation of the Covid pandemic, a top hospitality boss has urged Newcastle City Council to follow suit.
Ollie Vaulkhard, whose Vaulkhard Group runs popular sites including Barluga and the Bridge Tavern, complained that he “can’t see any benefit” from the tax, which Newcastle was the first place in the country to impose.
