LONDON MAYOR ANNOUNCES COMMISSION TO CREATE NIGHTLIFE REPRESENTATIVE

London Mayor Boris Johnson has announced plans for a Night Time Commission to look into ways of supporting the capital’s nightlife, including the creation of a night major.

The commission will conduct a six-month investigation into "what should be done to protect and manage the nighttime economy,” according to a statement from the Mayor's office.

Among the aims of the commission will be to recommend “the best way to proceed with the appointment of a night time champion”. In 2015, a report published by the Mayor of London’s Music Venues Taskforce proposed the election of a “a night time economy champion” similar to Amsterdam’s current night mayor post.

"There is no doubt that the nighttime economy is hugely important to our prosperity and the life of our city, but there is insufficient oversight for the way it is managed and problems are mitigated," the mayor says. "It is brilliantly successful, but nighttime activities can be seen as causes of noise and nuisance, whilst businesses complain that rising property values, the need for housing, licensing requirements and other red tape are damaging their operations, even leading to closures. If we are to compete against other world cities is vital that we develop policies to reconcile the competing needs and concerns." 

The commission will present its findings in autumn 2016.

The news comes after the government announced new legislation that will require councils to take music venues into consideration when deciding on planning applications.