Dalston will continue to be one of London's party places to be after Hackney Council failed to tighten licensing restrictions on local venues.

Over 1000 people from the area responded to the consultation, which found that 77

per cent of respondents were opposed to introducing a special policy

area (SPA) to restrict new licences in Dalston.

The restrictions would have affected many of Dalston's top attraction spots such as The Nest, Dalston Superstore and Video Visions.

The SPA means any new applications for alcohol licences in that district need to prove

that they will not cause any additional crime, disorder or nuisance

issues. It was thought it could ruin Dalston's reputation for a great night out.

The result shows that the majority of residents living in Dalston oppose tighter licensing restrictions in these areas.

Hackney Council approved a new licensing policy reflecting these views

at a full council meeting on 24 November 2010 and the policy came into

effect last week, from 7 January.

The council were also targeting Stoke Newington and Shoreditch but 75 per cent of residents opposed one

in Stoke Newington and 72 per cent were against extending the existing

SPA in Shoreditch.