Plans being drawn up the Government will allow venues to continue serving drinks for two extra hours during the celebratory Bank Holiday Weekend which takes place next year
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Pubs in England and Wales could be allowed to stay open until 1am as punters celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Plans being drawn up the Government will give the green light for venues to continue serving drinks for two extra hours during the celebratory Bank Holiday Weekend next June.
The proposals say the extension will let people “toast Her Majesty for her dedication and service”.
On 6 February 2022 the Queen will become the first British sovereign to have reigned for seven decades.
The May Bank Holiday Weekend will be moved to Thursday 2 June and an additional Bank Holiday will take place on Friday 3 June – resulting in a four-day weekend.
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Home Secretary Priti Patel is seeking to extend licensing hours from the normal 11pm to 1am from Thursday June 2 to Saturday 4 June during the extended Bank Holiday Weekend.
Section 172 of the Licensing Act 2003 allows Ms Patel to lay an order before Parliament to give permission for premises to stay open longer to mark occasions of exceptional significance.
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The move will be subject to a month-long public consultation during which people can submit their views on the proposals.
The Government said any issues raised by specific stakeholders including the police, licensing authorities and alcohol awareness groups will also be taken into consideration.
Ms Patel said: “Her Majesty the Queen is an example to us all – she has served the UK and the Commonwealth with the utmost dignity, steadfastness and resolve throughout her remarkable reign.
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“The Platinum Jubilee is a truly historic occasion, and it is right that the country should mark this celebration in a special way.
“This extension will enable families, friends and communities across England and Wales to raise a glass to toast Her Majesty the Queen and mark her incredible service to our country.
Official celebrations during the four-day public holiday has an eye-popping budget of between £10million and £15 million.
The celebrations will begin with Trooping the Colour, which will be staged in full for the first time since the pandemic, followed by a service of thanksgiving for the Queen’s reign at St Paul’s Cathedral on the Friday.
A huge “Platinum Pageant” is planned for the grand finale on the last day which will showcase the story of the Queen’s reign and is set to take place through the streets of the capital.
The likes of Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Ed Sheeran are being lined up to perform and are “top of the list” for organisers.
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Giant dragons the size of London buses and beasts as tall as three storey houses will create a spectacle and military and NHS heroes will also come together.
Past national events that have resulted in a extension to licensing hours include the 2011 and 2018 royal weddings, the Queen’s 90th birthday in 2016, and the Fifa World Cup in 2014.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “Next year we will celebrate an unprecedented milestone in our national life.
“No other British monarch has served for 70 years and it is fitting that, as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June, we toast Her Majesty for her dedication and service.”
www.mirror.co.uk
