If an MP’s proposal to tighten down on raucous evenings out is implemented, stag and hen dos may only be permitted in certain areas of York’s city center.
The medieval city, according to Labour MP Rachel Maskell, who has represented York Central since 2015, has been “devastated” by stag and hen parties, who she claims leave the area stinking like feces.
She has unveiled a blueprint plan to address the problem that will limit those on stags and hens to pre-planned zones in an effort to keep them “hidden from residents.”
She said that doing this would’return’ York to its natives and address the perception among families that there were ‘no safe areas’ left in the city.
Furious York locals complained earlier this year about the rowdy, nasty stag and hen dos they thought were taking over the city.
After two homes on their street were turned into “party houses,” neighbors on Bishopthorpe Road in the city complained to Ms Maskell.
They stated: “Large party groups, including hen and stag dos, often choose York as their destination.
We are quite worried that these residences will continue to draw loud parties and won’t be considerate of the neighbors.
We are uniting because the transformation of these buildings into prospective “party houses” endangers our neighborhood, the tranquility, and our mental health.
Ms. Maskell brought a motion for the Airbnb and Holidays Lets Bill to Parliament in response to the concerns.
All vacation rentals and Airbnbs in the region would need to get a license under the plan, which is likely to have strong bipartisan support. Councils would also be permitted to decline licenses in select locations, keeping the properties available for residents.
If approved, it would align the authority of the English government with that of Scotland, Wales, and London, where measures are already being taken to lessen the negative effects of Airbnbs and vacation rentals on local neighborhoods.
She described her intentions to reduce disturbance this week, saying the hen and stag do zones might be located away from residents in a certain area of the city, maybe near the train station.
However, the former Shadow Employment Minister did admit that the city’s hotel sector “would definitely suffer” without stag and hen dos supporting it.
According to Last Night of Freedom, pre-wedding vacations contribute up to £10 million annually to the local economy.
However, she defended her plan by saying that visitors were calling her office every week to declare they would “never again” visit York.
But individuals working in the hotel sector have criticized the measures.
The head of Last Night of Freedom, the largest stag and hen do planner in Britain, accused Ms. Maskell of “NIMBYism,” saying she was exaggerating the problem to earn quick political points.
“A city center is about togetherness, but these designs attempt to separate people, essentially placing stags and hens in a cage as if it were a zoo,” said the company’s managing director, Matt Mavir.
“This is nothing but NIMBYism.” Significantly cities like Liverpool and Newcastle, where the stag and hen business is even more significant, are not proposing something this drastic in Britain.
The proposals’ lack of consideration for the rate-paying pubs, restaurants, and hotels that are just now beginning to recover after years of debilitating COVID restrictions is perhaps the worst aspect of them.
Much of the city’s hotel industry would experience an economic black hole as a result of this.
One Sunderland partygoer remarked, “We often come as a group of friends since it is a lovely day.
All the bars, both inside and out, are quite busy; if you stop everyone from visiting, all the bars will go out of business.
We wouldn’t be drinking at these places if you didn’t have this.
According to Last Night of Freedom, despite Ms. Maskell’s accusations of “damage” in the city center, data recently received via a Freedom of Information Act request showed that there had only been seven police occurrences in York since the beginning of 2021 that included stags and hens.
Hen parties have always created problems for York residents.
The wearing of sexually explicit clothes by stag and hen do parties in 2019 raised concerns within the community that it would be offensive to minors and improper for them to witness.
After receiving complaints, North Yorkshire Police issued a warning to partygoers that they could be violating the Public Order Act, which has a potential prison sentence of six months.