London mayor to axe night tsar in plans to revive capital’s nightlife

London’s night tsar role, which was held by radio DJ and broadcaster Amy Lamé until 2024, will be retired in favour of an independent commission.

 

The move is one of a series of recommendations outlined by London’s Nightlife Taskforce, which is made up of key hospitality figures including nightclub Fabric operator Cameron Leslie, UKHospitality chair Kate Nicholls and Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) chief executive Mike Kill.

 

The taskforce has set out 23 recommendations in its report, including a London-wide licensing standard and the allowance of up to 10 individual noise complaints before a nuisance investigation is triggered for nightlife venues.

 

Beyond retiring the role of night tsar, it is unclear how many of the taskforce’s recommendations London mayor Sadiq Khan will implement.

 

The night tsar role was created shortly after Khan’s election in 2016 and was intended to be an ambassadorial appointment for London’s nightlife industry.

 

But the efficacy of the role, which Lamé held for eight years and received a six-figure salary for, was called into question amid soaring closures of nightclubs and late-night bars across the capital.

 

Khan has earmarked £300,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to set up the commission, which will replace the night tsar, to be appointed later this year.

 

The mayor said: “Our night-time economy supports more than a million jobs, contributes more than £139b to our economy and brings communities together, but action is needed to ensure that it can be a thriving part of life in our city for many years to come.

 

“The taskforce’s recommendations set out a bold future for our life at night and I’m committed to working with partners to do all I can to support this. This includes receiving new licensing powers from the government soon that will help us to unlock the potential of our capital’s nightlife, as we build a better London for everyone.”