Middlesbrough hosts more than 500 licensed premises within the council area.
The figure was confirmed within the council’s updated licensing policy statement, which must be published every five years. The 2025-2030 statement is said to support the council’s aim to make the town centre the main retail, leisure and commercial centre of the Tees Valley, as Middlesbrough Council aims to attract visitors locally and from farther afield, with a 24 hour economy.
Figures for 2006, 2010, 2015 and 2023 show a variation in the number of licensed premises across the town. From a low point of 463 licensed premises in 2010, this increased to 478 across the town in 2015 and hit a high point of 516 within the latest figures, relating to 2023.
The council says that it recognises the huge contribution of licensed premises towards the town’s evening economy, explaining that for these businesses to prosper, an “attractive” environment for customers is the ambition, as well as ensuring that licensed premises are both safe and well-run. Such establishments should add to the vibrancy of the town as well as the local economy.
Following an eight week consultation in 2024, cllrs approved the updated policy in March and it came into effect on 1 May, 2025. The Licensing Act 2003 gives the council responsibility for the grant and rejection of applications regarding the sale of alcohol. The updated policy should promote the four licensing objectives, which are: the prevention of crime and disorder, the prevention of public nuisance, public safety, and the protection of children from harm.
When it comes to Middlesbrough’s ambition in the next five years, the policy document said: “The Licensing Authority wishes to discourage drunkenness, and to encourage the provision of premises which serve alcohol for people to enjoy responsibly in diverse environments.” The document later adds: “Whilst it is estimated that the production, distribution and sale of alcohol may contribute as much as £65m to the local economy, the costs of policing, accident and emergency services and street cleaning will be well over £50m.”
There are fears that customers who have a negative perception of the town centre may not visit, particularly if issues like crime and disorder are not properly dealt with. The updated policy attempts to tackle this problem by aiming to “promote and encourage the development and growth of well-managed premises, and to give very clear messages to poorly managed premises which do not support the licensing objectives.”
The 2023 statistic of 516 premises has been split up into different categories, with the plurality (144) being described by the council as off-licences. The next most common form of premises is pubs/nightclubs, which accounted for 126, an increase from 109 in 2015. The other type of premise to see a large numerical increase was the number of licensed restaurants, which went up by 12 over the eight year period from 46 to 58. Six educational establishments and three open spaces were classed as licensed premises. Eight church halls also have permission to sell alcohol.
Out of the 516 premises, approximately half of them (242) can sell alcohol up to 11pm. 127 are licensed until midnight, with this number dwindling hour by hour; just eight establishments able to serve alcohol until 5am. One premises can serve alcohol beyond 5am and eight are licensed 24/7.
The number of licensed premises are also broken down ward by ward, with 212 located in Central ward, which is unsurprising as this ward is home to the town centre where there are lots of restaurants and pubs. At the other end of the spectrum, Marton West ward only has 3 licensed premises.
The council stressed the work that they have done in recent years to maintain standards, highlighting 480 inspections of licensed properties that have been carried out between January 2017 and July 2023. Remarks said: “In general, officers have found high levels of compliance with premises licence conditions, with only minor issues of non-compliance.”
In that same period, “13 review applications were referred to the Licensing Committee resulting in eight licence revocations, four suspension and one licence where additional conditions were added.”
Towards the end of the policy document, local health context was provided. In 2019/20, Middlesbrough had a rate of 1,001 hosptial admissions per 100,000 population when it came to alcohol-related conditions. The figure is higher than the overall North East figures of 936 per 100,000 and Middlesbrough’s figure is more than a 50% increase on England’s 644 per 100,000 figure.
Locally, regionally, and nationally, men are more likely than women to be admitted to hospital for alcohol-related conditions. “In 2019/20 the proportion of admissions for alcohol-related conditions was significantly higher for males than females, accounting for 68.75% in Middlesbrough, 67.81% in the North East and 67.53% in England,” the policy document explained.
When it comes to mortality, “people in Middlesbrough are more likely to die of alcohol-related or specific reasons than their national and regional counterparts, with men in the town more likely to die as a result of alcohol than females.”
Cllr Ian Blades, the council’s Executive member for neighbourhoods, said: “Licensing plays a crucial role in protecting individuals and communities, while at the same time keeping our town centre vibrant and prosperous.
“It’s also important that members of the public and businesses understand and have their say in how we apply the law locally, so I’m grateful to all those who took part in the consultation process.
“Their concerns and priorities will help to ensure we have a policy that meets their needs and expectations, and one that will stand the town in good stead for the next five years and beyond.”
