City appoints champion for city night-life to boost trade

BIRMINGHAM has appointed its first night-life champion in a bid to bolster the city’s evening economy.

Pubs, clubs, theatres, and concert venues now have an official advocate to boost opportunities and try to make the city a safer, more enjoyable place to visit at night.

The role has previously been adopted in London and Manchester, and now it has fallen to businessman and Birmingham Pride director, Lawrence Barton, to do the same in the second city.

As managing director of work training provider GB Training Ltd, Mr Barton oversaw the company’s move into hospitality, opening The Village Inn and The Nightingale in the city’s Southside district.

Mr Barton also has also taken on the role of Leadership Commissioner for the West Midlands Combined Authority.

He said: “I’m eager to get started as night-time economy champion. There’s a pressing need for action on the serious challenges facing venue operators.

“Not least the spiralling price of utilities, the need to recruit and retain highquality staff, and the problems which clubs such as mine encounter from encroaching residential developments.

“I intend to take a holistic approach to drawing up the plan to protect and enhance the city’s nightlife.

“This means bringing together all the key stakeholders – including the police, business owners, and employees – to come up with a design which will future-proof our night-time economy so it can be enjoyed for years to come.

“What I really need now is for those stakeholders to get on board with what we’re doing. There’s not a moment to waste.”

Council leader Ian Ward said: “We’ve been clear in our commitment to help our night-time economy to thrive by appointing a NightTime Economy Champion.

“Lawrence is a fantastic advocate for our city and has done so much to promote Pride and the Gay Village.

“I look forward to working closely with him in his new role as we work to make Birmingham’s night-time economy more enjoyable and safer for everyone, right across our city.”

Nicola Fleet-Milne, boss of FleetMilne and chairman of Colmore Business District, said: “Birmingham’s vibrant night life has been going from strength to strength for many years.

“Like most industries, it has had a challenging two years, working to get through and recover from the pandemic. The chairs of the city centre BIDs are supportive of this initiative to give real focus to our night-time economy, and Lawrence, with his passion and wealth of experience, is the right person to drive this agenda on behalf of the city as a whole.”

There’s a pressing need for action on the serious challenges facing venue operators. Lawrence Barton, below