Pictured: Front row (L-R): Sylvia Oates (chief executive of We Are Nottingham), Gus Jaspert (head of drugs and alcohol at the Home Office), Emma Orrock (service improvement manager, Community Protection - a partnership between Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire Police), Jo Cox-Brown (director of the Malt Cross, Nottingham Street Pastors and the Safe Space project). Second row (L-R): Chief Inspector Andy Burton (Nottinghamshire Police), Martin Rawlings (director at the British Beer & Pub Association), David Lucas (chair of the We Are Nottingham Leisure BID), Iwona Kossek (current Licensee and former Night Time Economy Coordinator for Nottingham Businesses Against Crime). Back row: Sean Cochrane-Smith (CPO).

Gus Jaspert, Head of Drugs and Alcohol, at the Home Office, has visited Nottingham to speak to key night time economy partners to help influence work on the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act.

We Are Nottingham Leisure, the Business Improvement District (BID) for licensed venues in the city centre, organised the visit to discuss the Act, which amongst other things is proposing a new levy on businesses that operate after midnight, the majority of which would get absorbed into the general police budget.

Mr Jaspert specifically wanted to see what a safe and thriving Purple Flag accredited city like Nottingham looked like 'on the ground', and to learn about the excellent partnerships formed by the UK's only leisure focused BID and how they have worked together to produce a positive effect in the city.

During the visit to discuss how the Act could be implemented and crucially, the content of the guidance and regulations, Mr Jaspert met representatives from a variety of city partners including local licensed premises, Nottinghamshire Police, Nottingham City Council and Nottingham Businesses Against Crime. 

He also saw some of the We Are Nottingham Leisure partnership's initiatives - such as the Taxi Marshal and Street Pastor schemes that are already working hard to help create a varied, safe and profitable night time leisure economy in the city.

"We think he was impressed with what he saw in Nottingham, in particular the strong engagement and action across public, voluntary and business partners," explained Sylvia Oates, chief executive of We Are Nottingham Leisure. 

"A lot of organisations and groups in Nottingham have made a success of the night time economy and we are keen to ensure that the impact and relevance of any future national levy is fully considered before it is implemented in Nottingham and elsewhere."

Further consultation with the Home Office regarding the proposed levy are expected to take place early in the New Year.