Croydon in ambitious bid to boost late night economy

Croydon’s plans to boost its late night economy were praised by London Night Czar Amy Lamé last night (Monday).

Amy, whose role is to champion London’s nightlife and ensure the capital thrives as a 24-hour city, was a special guest at Croydon Council’s cabinet meeting at which members approved 6 ’til late – Croydon’s Evening and Night-Time Economy Plan 2019-2024.

She told members she hoped to see other boroughs follow in Croydon’s footsteps.

Amy said: “London is thriving at night with 1.6m Londoners usually working and the economy growing faster than it is during the day, so I’m delighted that Croydon is planning for this growth. The council has put forward a bold strategy and I hope their example will inspire other boroughs to do the same. An inclusive, diverse and flourishing economy at night makes London a better place to live, work and visit.”

Croydon’s plan to revive the post-6pm economy has been developed by the council in partnership with local businesses, business organisations like Croydon BID and agencies including the police and health services.

It builds on successes which include a surge in the numbers of jobs created by the night-time economy, while new late-night businesses such as Mr Fox and Ludoquist are thriving and complementing their more mature counterparts.

The plan sets out how the borough will support the development of a vibrant and varied night-time economy, responding to changing trends and ensuring that people can access all there is to offer, addressing issues like safety and transport links.

“It’s great to welcome Amy back to Croydon. Our night-time economy is changing and developing, with the revival of our live music scene and increasing numbers of new venues and events coming to the borough. We want to nurture this, and build on it as our town centre regenerates and grows, working with all our local partners to ensure Croydon is the destination for South London and an exciting, safe and attractive place to visit at night.”

Councillor Tony Newman, Leader of the Council

 

“Croydon’s cultural scene is growing rapidly, as we develop as a creative enterprise zone, a youth performance partnership and Croydon Music City. In the last year alone we have seen new some really exciting galleries, creative businesses, music events and late-night venues come to Croydon, and some fantastic organisations in the reopened Fairfield Halls, as we gain a reputation as a borough that invests in and nurtures the arts. We want this creativity and diversity to be at the heart of our night-time economy, and accessible to all, so that Croydon becomes the destination of choice, from 6 till late.”

Councillor Oliver Lewis, cabinet member for culture, leisure and sport

Amy Lamé chose Croydon as the location for her first speech as Night Czar three years ago when she attended the borough’s economic summit.

Following the cabinet meeting, she visited the newly-refurbished Fairfield Halls to meet local business owners, promoters and cultural groups from across the borough for a ‘night surgery’.

2019-11-19T18:36:15+00:00 November 19th, 2019|Recent news|