Hackney Council has defended its current consultation on the future of the borough’s nightlife.

In a statement, Emma Plouviez, chair of the council’s licensing committee, insisted that proposed changes to local licensing policy were “in no way […] aimed at allowing us to make all venues close at midnight; not now, or in the future.”

She added that Dalston and Shoreditch have reached “saturation point” and are “losing the balance between the rights of residents and the rights of businesses.”

“Some businesses are questioning the need for the updated policy, claiming we want to impose a ‘blanket ban’ on new licences. This is not true. The current Shoreditch Special Policy Area (SPA) has been in place in since 2005 and anyone familiar with the area will know there’s not been a crackdown on new bars and clubs opening, quite the opposite, it’s just allowed us to manage things more effectively. The extension of the SPA would allow us to manage other areas in the same way.”

An early draft of the council’s new licensing policy, revealed earlier this month, had described nightclubs as “not considered appropriate” for the area.

Cllr Plouviez responded to concerns from clubbers and venue owners about characterising nightclubs as “inappropriate”, stating: “We have used the word appropriate because it reflects what’s in the Licensing Act 2003. It does not mean that we won’t grant licenses for those types of venues, it’s just the jargon used in licensing regulation which means the balance does not automatically favour the applicant and gives other people more of a say.”

The consultation runs until August 14 before the council finalises the policy for the next five years. A venue-led campaign has been launched as WeLoveHackney to urge the council to recognise the importance of Hackney’s night-time economy. [via The Quietus]