Brent Council has called for fairness as the Government consults on plans to introduce an overnight Visitor Levy in England.
Brent has welcomed the levy, which would bring England into line with major global cities and offer councils an additional source of funding as demand for local services continues to rise. However, Brent Council has warned that the levy will only work if the money raised is shared fairly with the communities that host visitors and reflect the day-to-day costs borne locally.
Brent is one of London’s busiest boroughs, welcoming millions of people every year to Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena. From European football finals, to Oasis, Taylor Swift and Harry Styles, Brent is proud to host some of the world’s most iconic events. While these occasions bring transformative benefits to London’s economy and global reputation, they also place significant pressure on local services, including street cleansing, waste collection, transport management, enforcement and public realm maintenance.
Under the proposals being consulted, there is no guarantee that money raised locally will flow back to the boroughs dealing with these day-to-day pressures or that councils will retain a share of levy revenues raised in their area.
Brent is therefore calling for three clear principles to be built into the Visitor Levy:
A minimum of 50% of revenue to be retained by London boroughs by default, recognising that councils bear the frontline costs of tourism;
Distribution weighted by tourism impact and hotel stays, so that funding follows where visitors stay;
A percentage-based levy, rather than a flat fee, to ensure fairness and long-term sustainability.
Bloomberg analysis suggests a London-wide Visitor Levy could raise around £500 million a year, potentially unlocking tens of millions of pounds for Brent under a model like the above.
