The UK may be inching towards 24-hour opening, but will the population stay awake long enough to enjoy it? Lawrence Higgins reports
Elvis Presley wished “that there were more than 24 hours in a day” in Viva Las Vegas, and “even if there were 40 more, I wouldn’t sleep a minute away,” he waxed. That is because “the King” knew that Las Vegas was a true 24-hour city, where no matter what the time of day you can gamble, drink, eat, party, work or relax – and still get transport home.
Had Elvis actually stayed more than his solitary two hours in Britain it is unlikely that he would have sung of bright light Stoke city setting his soul on fire, or of always remembering his swinging time in Durham.
For these are just two of the numerous UK cities which aspire toward “24-hour” status. Durham city council was most upset by John Gummer’s recent tirade, in this magazine (12 June, p65), against AMEC’s proposed central leisure scheme, because the bingo hall-cum-nightclub was said to be integral to plans to make it a 24-hour city.
Elsewhere, Stoke-on-Trent is being hampered in assuming 24-hour status because people coming out of clubs, or queuing for food or taxis at night, are said to be making too much noise and, in particular, the Three-in-one kebab shop was selling food after 2.30am. Such nocturnal activities are said to be dissuading tourists from visiting the city.
In reality, nowhere in the UK is there a 24-hour city. Peter Johnson of Healey & Baker states: “New York is a 24-hour city, but Britain’s big cities have some way to go. Even in Glasgow, where there is a greater relaxation in bar and club opening hours, a lot of facilities are closed at night.”
Geoff Wright, major projects officer at Birmingham city council, which is further down the line than many in the all-day lifestyle stakes, claims that Birmingham is probably an “18-hour city”. Wright says Birmingham has been extending the life of the city mainly since the opening of the International Convention Centre in 1991 and the resultant realisation of differing demands from various groups that were using the city.
Birmingham started with more of a blank canvas than is available to most – and has been able to bring about complete redevelopment of parts of the city centre. The council is using planning to encourage mixed-use development at the likes of Arena Central, which will offer residential, leisure and employment facilities in Centenary Square off Broad Street.
But no amount of altruism would persuade your average plc to build an unprofitable scheme. Martin Field of Arena Central’s developer, Hampton Trust, says: “The development was not a purely commercial decision – it was built within council policy. But we are reacting to consumer demand.” And Chris Milliken of Richard Ellis St Quintin adds: “If that demand wasn’t there then development wouldn’t happen.”
James Ager of Richardson Developments says of his company’s Printworks scheme in central Manchester: “Provided that the customer wants 24-hour entertainment, the Printworks will offer it, but a sufficient number of customers are required to make it commercially viable for operators.”
And Mike Straw of Richard Ellis St Quintin says: “To get the right investment in the town centre, there has to be a viable commercial reason. To date it has been easier to manage and operate late hours at an out-of-town leisure park than in a town centre.”
So developers are using a carrot-and-stick approach. Charlotte MacLeod of FPDSavills points out the stick methods: “The retail opening hours must be complementary otherwise, when leisure hots up, there is dead time. At the Printworks the retail operators have had to sign keep-open clauses in order to keep the scheme alive.”
Wright says that planning conditions imposed on redevelopment of the Bull Ring demand 20-hour access, and Straw speaks of a Hammersmith scheme where planners demanded that the developer lay on a late-night bus service.
Jones Lang LaSalle’s Mark Watkins points out the carrot: “Intensive trading from operators in the Printworks will allow them to maximise profits.”
A recent BCO conference on the 24-hour city said leisure operators were asking for greater flexibility from landlords to react to changes in the market, and Milliken says: “Developers should look at ways of doing deals – there may be a need for more turnover-based and flexible leases.”
A mixed-scheme such as Arena Central is thought to be the mainstay of 24-hour cities, particularly in the light of government planning policy encouraging urban revitalisation. But success relies on cohesive integration, with the whole being greater than the sum of the parts.
Straw points out the need to consider the effect on residential amenities: “How to get the public home late at night; obtaining late licences; security; domination of town centres by retail and the resultant isolation and closure at night.”
MacLeod speaks of the need to consider complementary neighbours: “There is potential conflict if, say, clubbers are queuing to get in at the same place and time as cinema-goers are trying to get away.”
The transport issue is paramount. Generally, city centres do not offer a population that can sustain anything greater than piecemeal developments. Now all the cities hankering after 24-hour status rely on the night bus system and taxis. Wright says Birmingham is considering a late-night train service but at present this is the time when maintenance is carried out.
Field points out: “If you look at the likes of Star City, near the M6, where access is only by car, such development is unlikely to be allowed again under the new planning regime. But if there is a good transport system why bother going out of town?”
But it is generally true that a fully integrated transport system must be available at all hours for true 24-hour opening.
Work buildings harder to boost rents
And operating 24 hours a day could alter the traditional perceptions of property. REStQ’s Milliken says: “Operators need to make their buildings work harder. But if the customer gets what they want then they will achieve the best rents.” Field adds: “The property institutions are having to change their ideas, and operations will involve a complicated management structure.”
Although progress may be slow, modern society is moving toward 24-hour living. Developers are designing schemes around it, councils are clamouring for the sought-after “24-hour city” tag, operators work to extend opening hours and companies such as BT have a 24-hour system while Tower 42 in the City of London is marketing itself as a “24-hour village”.
But there are still misgivings. Westminster city council, home to some of the world’s most famous nightspots, is looking at ways to halt the spread of leisure in the borough. Newcastle, one of the world’s top 10 party cities, struggles to grant new liquor licences, while in Birmingham, Wright speaks of the city’s historic temperate ideology appearing every so often to dampen enthusiasm for leisure growth.
But none of the advances will truly take effect without a dramatic change in the psyche of the UK population. Field says: “In Europe they think late – there is a complete cultural difference.” And, as the developers stated, nothing will be provided unless there is demand.
