The report called “Fear of the Night” said that entrenched cultural and political fears are threatening the potential of the night time economy. Furedi highlighted this fear is not demonstrated in statistics that reveal violent crime has decreased by 8.2 per cent since 2011/2012 while recorded crime is 38 per cent lower than 2002/2003.
He has called for a dramatic change in the approach to venues suggesting that crime classifications need to be reviewed to recognise that crime is not committed by venues but against them.
The licensing frameworks for alcohol and planning should better support venues while ensuring the safe and effective operation of the industry, he argued. And a nationally accepted code of conduct for the industry, which ensures best practice, and protects venues operating to a minimum standard, should be implemented.
The report also revealed that the sector has continued to grow throughout the global recession with the industry now accounting for nearly 6 per cent of GDP and the country experiencing a social and cultural shift towards the night.
The night time industry also makes a significant contribution to the UK’s international image, he said. Of the 1.5 billion day visits to the UK in 2014, approximately 300 million had their focus on a meal or a night out.
Chairman of the NTIA, Alan Miller said: “The industry needs to bind itself together and present a united front to policy makers as it seeks to challenge and re-address the conversation around the UK’s night time economy.
“The socio-cultural trends steering the UK towards a 24-hour economy should be accounted for with fairer regulation and at the national level licensing frameworks - both alcohol and planning - should be more inclined to create an environment through which this important industry can prosper, rather than suffocating it.”