SOUTHAMPTON has won praise from a Government minister for giving a controversial late-night levy the green light this week.

City councillors gave the go-ahead for the new levy which will see the introduction of annual charges of up to £4,440 for bars and clubs that open after midnight.

The levy has faced fierce opposition by a number of city bars, who have described it as another tax which will hit their trade, but the Crime Prevention Minister has welcomed the move.

Norman Baker told the Daily Echo that it was “absolutely right” to have the levy on bars and clubs to pay for the damage alcohol abuse has on society.

He said that the misuse of alcohol costs society around £21 billion, with half of that due to antisocial behaviours and the rest due to several factors including cost to the NHS and lost productivity.

This, he said, was twice the amount caused by all the illegal drugs put together and should not be a cost met by the “ordinary taxpayer”.

Mr Baker added: “I think this is a good idea. Evidence from elsewhere nationally where it has been introduced shows that it is working quite well.

“All of us like to have a drink but in reality there is a major cost. I don’t want bars to open or shut, I want to minimise the damage alcohol does to society.”

As previously reported, Southampton City Council passed the levy which officers say will raise much-needed funds to help cover the cost of the city’s late-night economy.

The levy will come into effect on April 1 next year and would see venues operating after midnight pay an annual fee of between £299 and £4,400.

Funds raised through the levy will be shared between the police and the council, and will be spent on measures such as taxi marshalling, street pastors and the In Case of Emergency (ICE) bus, which aids revellers in need of help.

It is expected the charge would raise about £240,000 each year, with 70 per cent going to the police and 30 per cent to the council.

Newscastle was the first council to adopt the levy and as a result JD Wetherspoons have said they are looking to cut opening times in the city and other areas where the levy has been introduced.

But when asked about the impact of the levy on businesses such as this, Mr Baker said “I don’t think JD Wetherspoons are terribly short of money. Obviously if they want to cut opening hours that is an option that they have.”

He added that claims by bars and clubs that recent changes such as the smoking ban had already put them under financial pressure were a “red herring”.