The Guardian view on London's nightlife: how to share city space is best resolved locally | Editorial

"Sir Sadiq Khan's musical tastes tend toward soft rock and pop. But throughout his tenure as mayor of London he has positioned himself as a friend to its ravers, rockers and late-night revellers with his oft-relaunched vision of a culturally and economically vibrant 24hour city. Those ambitions have fallen short of their promise, as London, like the rest of the country, has seen a steady erosion of pubs, bars and clubs."

"The report's authors include representatives of successful grassroots projects, rather than just industry figures associated with festivals and superclubs. It is unusually alive to local concerns. The debate is not really economic or cultural but political: who controls shared local space? Without councils and residents on side, the plan goes nowhere. That being said, the report usefully challenges stereotypes about nightlife's supposed association with crime, though its conclusions depend on comparisons that obscure the tensions local councils are asked to manage."

"For example, comparing nightlife hubs with other busy areas, rather than quieter residential streets, is technically sound but also serves a political purpose. It redirects attention from nightlife-linked crime to crowd management shifting responsibility away from venues. The proposal to use real-time sound monitoring is more promising, potentially moving the spotlight away from anecdote toward hard evidence. Beyond tax relief, the report points to seed funding for night-time activity that doesn't rely on alcohol sales."

Sir Sadiq Khan has promoted a culturally and economically vibrant 24hour city while positioning himself as an ally of ravers, rockers and late-night revellers. London has suffered a steady erosion of pubs, bars and clubs. A new nightlife commission draws on recommendations that include grassroots project representatives and is unusually attentive to local concerns. The central debate concerns who controls shared local space and requires councils and residents to be on side. The proposals challenge stereotypes linking nightlife and crime, recommend real-time sound monitoring, and propose seed funding for non-alcohol-dependent night activities.

Read at www.theguardian.com