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ALE Spring 2005 No. 317
ALE Spring 2005 No. 317
In January and February there was a media frenzy about the prospect of
"24-hour drinking" and its impact on the existing binge drinking plague
across the country.
The BBC in particular ran a lot of coverage about the problems of policing
and of related issues such as the impact upon Accident & Emergency departments.
However "24-hour drinking" is a myth
- no pub chain or pub has announced it will apply for a 24-hour licence
(there would have been a huge media fuss if any had);
- no licensing authority has announced plans to permit it.
The one case where a 24-hour licence might be issued is for
a large 24-hour supermarket.
Possible changes to hours include:
- pubs may make their Sunday hours the same as their Saturday ones;
- in town centres a few well-managed pubs may be allowed an extra 30 or 60 minutes
on Friday & Saturday;
- as there's no longer a formal drinking-up time, the usual closing time
may change from 23:20 to 23:30 in some cases
(instead pubs now have to say when they stop selling and when they close).
Extensions for special events - whether national or local - may work differently
and the details are not yet clear.
For instance it's possible pubs will have to anticipate their needs at the start of each licensing year,
rather than apply as each occasion arises.
One aspect of the new licensing regime which hasn't had much coverage yet
is the effect on a pub's rateable value.
This value is based on its trade as of several years before.
So if any pub increases its hours significantly, presumably
bringing in extra trade, after a few years its rates will rise.
Another aspect not discussed much so far in the national media is that is ought to be
easier for pubs to admit children legally.
Britvic, the Family & Parenting Institute and the British Intitute of Innkeeping
have launched the Web site www.familyfriendlypubs.com to help pubs be family-friendly.
It offers advice and helps promote family-friendly pubs.
Binge Drinking
Meanwhile there's a view that binge drinking should be
seen as more of a dietary/health problem than a licensing one.
Those that binge are usually downing drinks such
as cheaply-made UK lager and
fruit-flavoured and sweetened alcohol,
all encouraged by pricing, environment & promotions favouring huge volumes.
In contrast, an all-seating, multi-roomed pub,
with a range of high-quality drinks, with little or
no music to drown out conversation and no price/volume promotions,
is rarely the cause of any trouble.
Returning to multi-roomed designs for pubs would also permit
an effective separation of smoking and no-smoking areas,
arguably making an outright smoking ban unnecesary.
Alcohol Disorder Zones
The Government has been consulting on proposals for Alcohol Disorder Zones in town centres,
featuring fines and naming & shaming for premises deemed to be responsible for disorder.
One of the most controversial aspects is a special levy on businesses to
contribute to policing a zone.
Trade bodies seem to prefer existing local & voluntary measures, typically partnerships
with the Police and others, which have had some success.
As an example, in December the first annual Camsafe Awards
were handed out as part of a partnership involving Cambridge City Council, the police and licencees
to reduce drunken and disorderly behaviour.
The winners were "B" in Market Passage, The Bakers in East Road,
Ballare Nightclub in Lion Yard, The Corner House on Newmarket Road,
The Hopbine in Fair Street and Life Nightclub in Sidney Street.
However the Cambridge Evening News recently spent a Friday night out on patrol
with the Police and found the
Drinking Circuit still bad and that
violent, drunken behaviour is spreading rapidly beyond the traditional problem nights of Friday and Saturday.
ALE Spring 2005 No. 317
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