A Spalding landlord has branded the idea of a late night levy on Spalding’s licensed premises as “crazy”, saying it would sound the death knell for businesses like his.
Pete Williams, of the Punchbowl in New Road, said business has never been so bad for pubs and clubs trying to survive without them being asked to pay a contribution towards policing the town centre in the evenings.
The idea was put forward by Spalding’s top cop Insp Jim Tyner, who is calling on South Holland District Council to introduce the levy to bolster the stretched police budget.
In last week’s Spalding and South Holland Voice, Insp Tyner said: “Lincolnshire Police have the lowest number of officers since the 1970s. Although we still deploy patrols outside licensed premises every Friday and Saturday night, of course the reduced numbers have an impact on our resilience.
“It may be time for the local authority to reconsider late night levies to support the policing of the night time economy.”
But Mr Williams has said Insp Tyner should “stop playing the politician” and “spend more less time worrying about what we are doing and more time worrying about what his officers are doing”.
He said: “Is Insp Tyner blind or stupid?
“He suggested this levy after one or two incidents in town. That’s one or two incidents in four or five years – it has been blown up out of all proportion.
“Town has never been quieter than it is now – our takings are the same or less than ten years ago and any pub that says they are doing well at the moment is just putting up a front because people are fed up of hard luck stories.
“But if we were asked to pay for policing too it would be a death knell for night time businesses in the town.
“It’s totally pie in the sky.”
