Pubs and music venues could benefit from fewer noise complaints under proposed changes to planning and licensing rules.
Under the reforms, developers seeking to build new properties near existing venues would be told to soundproof buildings, while permissions would be fast-tracked for new businesses and al fresco dining in dedicated areas.
The government hopes the changes in England and Wales will make it easier to open new bars in disused shops, promote outdoor drinking and dining, and reverse the decline in the pub industry.
Labour said the changes would bring “vibrancy” to struggling towns, but the Conservatives said tax policy was responsible for “crippling the hospitality industry”.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury James Murray said Labour was committed to removing “some of the red tape” that prevented new cafes, pubs and music venues from opening.
Murray said there was “too much bureaucracy” standing in the way of economic growth, but also accepted that the government’s decision to raise National Insurance and to increase the Minimum Wage had “consequences for businesses”.
The British Beer and Pub Association says the number of pubs in the UK has steadily decreased every year since 2000, and estimated that 378 pubs would close in 2025 across England, Wales and Scotland, amounting to more than 5,600 direct job losses.
It comes after several well-loved pubs and music venue were left facing possible closure over noise complaints, leading to campaigns in some cities.
Last December, Moth Club, an independent music and comedy venue in east London, launched a petition challenging plans to build a new block of flats next door, over fears it could be shut down.
“Without being able to make noise, we can’t make money,” its manager told the BBC at the time.
In Manchester, venue Night and Day Cafe was subject to a three-year legal battle with the council over noise complaints lodged by a neighbour in 2021.
It was eventually permitted to continue operating as a nightclub with noise-limiting restrictions in place.
On Tuesday, pub chain Brewdog was the latest to announce cuts, with 10 bars across the UK closing due to “rising costs, increased regulation, and economic pressures”.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said “pubs and bars are at the heart of British life” as the government launched a consultation on the changes.
She added: “For too long, they’ve been stifled by clunky, outdated rules. We’re binning them, to protect pavement pints, al fresco dining and street parties – not just for the summer, but all year round.”
Andrew Griffith, the shadow business secretary, said: “Though any cutting of red tape for hospitality businesses is welcome, this is pure hypocrisy and inconsistency from Labour.”
He accused Labour of “crippling the hospitality industry by doubling business rates, imposing a Jobs Tax and a full-on strangulation of employment red tape”.
