Councils 'should have more control over alcohol licensing'

Tue 09 Feb 2010

A lobby group representing local authorities in London has called on the government to hand councils complete control over alcohol licensing.

According to London Councils, local communities should be able to decide what type of establishment opens in certain parts of the capital and how many should be grouped in the same place.

This, it said, is because people in the area know what is suitable better than policymakers in central government.

As a result, London Councils has recommended that the existing "one size fits all" approach should be scrapped.

Mike Fisher, an official at London Councils, said bringing the control of licensing down to a local level will "strike a balance" and allow people to enjoy themselves without "spoiling it for others".

The body was speaking after the government handed local authorities the power to impose blanket bans on the sale of alcohol after 3am in streets and city centres.

Licensing minister Gerry Sutcliffe said the new powers would help councils and the police make life better for local residents, while encouraging licensees to take their obligation to run responsible businesses more seriously.

Robert Botkai, a partner at Winckworth Sherwood, commented: "The government proposes to allow Licensing Authorities to ban the sale of alcohol after 3am in entire city centres or areas if the restriction is shown to be necessary to prevent crime and disorder, or to promote public safety.

"This will impact on pubs and bars (are there that many open after 3am?) and 24-hour shops and supermarkets (again are there that many and where is the evidence that they cause a problem?).

"This is a very odd 'solution' to a problem that, in my opinion, does not exist.

"There is a media myth about 24-hour alcohol and this gets somehow blurred into the debate on binge drinking."