Earlier this year, Hackney Council passed a new set of strict licensing laws to much disagreement. The laws mean that new venues opening in the area under the council’s jurisdiction can only apply for licenses to open until midnight on weekends and 11pm on weeknights.
Now, a group of Hackney residents have come together to launch a legal challenge against those laws. We Love Hackney yesterday announced the appeal. Speaking to Resident Advisor, the group said: "Hackney Council didn’t undertake any serious ‘equalities impact assessment,’ which would have looked at the impact on young people and LGBTQ+ and ethnic minority communities. Young people disproportionately use and work in the night time economy, and businesses serving Hackney’s minority communities are more likely to be the small, independents being pushed out by Hackney."
Philip Kolvin QC, who was also the legal representative for fabric after the club lost its license, is representing the group, and the group has launched a crowdfunding effort to raise £53,000 in order to cover legal fees and court costs. You can find out more about the campaign here.
