The strength of Liverpool’s visitor economy and hospitality sector has been integral to our city’s 21st Century renaissance and the scenes of thousands of people in local hostelries watching the Lionesses – including Bootle’s own, Alex Greenwood – retain their European crown is demonstrative of the power of venues to bring people together in celebration and togetherness.

It was the news that the government is considering new licensing and planning reforms to reduce the risk of noise complaints made against pubs and music venues that piqued attention last week.

For an industry beset by acute social and economic challenges over the past five years, the resilience and determination of so many hoteliers, restaurateurs and bar and pub operators always amazes me. Indeed, their creativity and enterprise has been a driving force for the regeneration of countless urban areas and town centres, with independent outlets filling many of the spaces left behind by legacy retail, industrial or banking operators, bringing a new vibrancy to those locations.

There are countless examples of this across our City Region – where there was once a Debenhams, we now have a Gravity Max; Castle Street’s grand old banking halls now occupied by the likes of Elif, The Ivy and Restaurant Bar & Grill; Formby’s former Natwest is now the popular Emily’s restaurant; and so many former semi-industrial spaces in the Baltic Triangle are now thriving as pubs, hotels or events venues. The list goes on.

Through all of this, the sector has faced down the challenges of lockdown, rising energy prices and the cost of living crisis, while the government’s decision to increase employer NICs was the latest suckerpunch for operators struggling to keep seats filled, ovens lit, pumps flowing and hundreds of thousands of people in jobs.

Pub closures still remain a too frequent story. Figures from the British Beer & Pub Association show the number of pubs in the UK has steadily decreased each year since 2000, with an estimated 378 pubs to close in 2025 across England, Wales and Scotland, with more than 5,600 direct job losses.

Whilst there are many societal reasons for the decline in pubs, it was encouraging to read of the latest proposals to stop pubs and music venues facing as many noise complaints, often from neighbours who have moved in much more recently. Under the mooted reforms, developers seeking to build new properties near existing venues would have to soundproof buildings, while permissions would be fast-tracked for new businesses and al fresco dining in dedicated areas.

Laudably, the government hopes the changes in England and Wales will make it easier for operators to open new bars in disused shops, promote outdoor drinking and dining, and reverse the overall decline in the pub industry. Hopefully it will also help long-standing venues to endure and prosper, without fear that a new nearby apartment building will force them to change their offer to customers or close the doors completely.

It goes without saying that any development – residential or hospitality – should be completed responsibly and sympathetically. The overarching aim should always be to make a place better for those who live and work there, and it feels like this latest approach could create a greater symbiosis between new schemes and existing assets, creating a better environment for all. Typically, compromise and collaboration is always the right way to go but the balance must be achieved for the preservation of businesses that are very often at the heart of their community and place .

Of course, we cannot overlook the very direct negative impact of recent government policy on the hospitality sector. So, while the government is rightly looking to reduce the bureaucracy burden on operators, it still needs to address and reduce the burdens it has created for the sector and hopefully encourage more confidence for future growth. It’s crucial that whilst this policy aims to solve one noise problem, the wider issues impacting businesses requires us to increase the volume.