00:00I'm outside the anchor in Digbeth, a place that's poured pines since the 1700s, now shuttered
00:06like three others across Birmingham in just a matter of weeks. The speed of it should
00:11raise alarms and it has. One of those sounding it loudest is Lyle Binion, the city's Nighttime
00:16Economy Ambassador, speaking on behalf of the Nighttime Industries Association. We met
00:21him here at what used to be one of Birmingham's busiest corners to ask what's really behind
00:27this sudden collapse. I think there's the natural ebb and flow of business on a regular
00:32basis. We gain venues, we lose venues. It's just quite unfortunate that the current climate
00:37and the trading conditions have led to a glut of venues, either announcing an immediate or
00:43delayed closure in the past few weeks. It's a much repeated fact that we are dealing with
00:51some really, really challenging conditions for our venues, which are at the tail end, the
00:56front line. There are, of course, lots of other businesses that supply the nighttime economy
01:00and hospitality that are either at risk or have had to close or jobs have been lost anyway.
01:06It's not just about running costs, it's about how easy it is to ignore them. For months,
01:11venues have been asking for support. What they've had instead is rising taxes, tighter licensing
01:17and silence from those in charge. The effect isn't surprising, it's inevitable. And the longer
01:22it goes on, the harder it is to believe that anyone in power sees this as a priority.
01:28You know, it's quite easy for politicians to ignore the plight of nighttime economy and
01:33hospitality in favour of other industries which might be deemed as more important to
01:37the economy. The fact is, the nighttime economy is the fifth biggest industry in the UK, supports
01:42hundreds of thousands of jobs here in Birmingham and the Midlands. And it's getting to a tipping
01:49point where those in power really do have to listen now. It's becoming impossible for
01:53them to ignore the issue.
01:56The solution may not be complex, but down to political will. Businesses want a level playing
02:01field, fairer rates, support with soaring overheads, licensing that doesn't treat every bar like
02:07a threat. It's not about handouts, it's about survival. And when even the most iconic venues
02:12are falling, that survival looks less and less likely without real intervention.
02:16There are jobs at stake. There are businesses at risk. There are, you know, other issues
02:21like economic contribution and the very artistic social fabric. And nighttime economy and hospitality
02:26isn't just where people go to consume alcohol. It's where people meet. It's the sense of community.
02:31It's a sense of togetherness. It helps with the kind of fabric of society. And so certainly
02:40with further intervention, with policy changes, with better acknowledgement and an improved
02:45strategy on how nighttime economy and hospitality fits into the visitor and tourist strategy for
02:52Birmingham and the Midlands. And that could lead to all manner of benefits for the wider population.
02:58So this is how we know that story is, but tell us to move forward. You can keep send us
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