Newcastle City Council Scraps Late Night Levy

8th October 2026

In much welcome relief for city centre hospitality venues, Newcastle City Council approved the abolition of its Late Night Levy on 7 October 2026. The scheme ends on 31 October, with no new levy bills being issued. Outstanding bills for the previous year remain payable.

Introduced in November 2013, the levy was an additional annual charge on eligible premises licensed to supply alcohol between midnight and 6am, subject to exemptions. Charges ranged from £299 to £4,440, depending on the premises’ rateable value and use. Liability depended on licensed hours, rather than how often a venue actually traded late.

The money helped fund policing and services including CCTV, street cleaning, street and taxi marshals, and Safe Haven support. Although these services benefited the night-time economy, the levy added another fixed cost for affected pubs, bars, clubs and other licensed venues already facing financial pressure.

For businesses previously paying it, abolition removes a recurring expense, freeing up cash that can support staffing, maintenance or financial reserves. The benefit will vary according to each venue’s previous charge.

Night-time safety work will continue through replacement funding backed by NE1 and the council.

At Equity Accounting, we welcome this reduction in costs for affected hospitality businesses. We recommend reviewing your cash-flow forecasts to reflect the change, while keeping any outstanding levy liability in your budget.

Need help understanding the effect on your figures? Speak to the Equity team.