News / Nighttime Economy
Bristol’s nighttime economy at ‘saturation point’ say police
A decision on whether to scrap restrictions on new pubs, bars and late-night takeaways in Bristol city centre has been delayed.
Bristol City Council’s licensing committee was split 4-4 in a vote to keep the Cumulative Impact Area (CIA) in place.
And a second vote, to go along with officers’ recommendations to remove the zone, which means applications for new alcohol-led premises or later hours will be refused unless it is shown they will not fuel more crime, disorder and public nuisance, fell by 4-3 votes, with one abstention.
is needed now More than ever
Police opposed the idea, saying central Bristol’s nighttime economy is at “saturation point” and stretches their resources.
Some councillors criticised the council’s environmental health and public health departments for failing to submit a response to last year’s 12-week consultation.
One said it would be “utterly bonkers” to abandon the CIA, while others agreed with officers that there was not sufficient evidence to retain it – a requirement introduced under legislation in 2017.
After more than an hour’s debate, the stalemate could not be broken and the report will come back to a future committee meeting, which must be before March 7 when the current three-year policy expires.
The city centre cumulative impact area goes from the Floating Harbour to Stokes Croft and from Clifton Triangle to the western edge of Broadmead, which was removed from the area three years ago along with the city’s other four former CIAs – map: Bristol City Council
Tory councillor Richard Eddy said: “I’m afraid the recommendation to ditch the CIA is utterly bonkers and will not help at all in upholding the licensing objectives.
“I listened to the evidence, particularly from the police who have experience on the ground of what happens in Bristol city centre.
“Two-thirds of Bristolians say we should not ditch the CIA, and the police are opposed.”
Eddy said it would be “ridiculous” to scrap the policy, which he said helped to control antisocial behaviour.
“There is evidence to support it and we should not ditch the CIA now,” he said, adding that scrapping the zone would be “throwing the baby out with the bathwater”.
Guy Poultney, a Green Party councillor, said: “The overwhelming response from the consultation is evidence to say the CIA is needed.
“The police are in favour of retaining the CIA. I am dumbstruck that the council has failed to respond to its own consultation – that should be a matter of shame for the council. I argue in the strongest possible terms to retain the CIA.”
Poultney said the crime statistics matched the late-night economy in the city centre, which was evidence that the policy should be kept, despite council officers saying the evidence was insufficient.
Green group leader Emma Edwards told officers: “What you’re doing is risking women and girls who are out in the nighttime economy.
“If the CIA is removed and things get worse, you’re putting the public at risk.
“It’s just too risky to take something away when we don’t know what the impact will be unless something else is coming in to replace it.
“When public safety is a factor, that is not a risk we should be prepared as a council to take.
“We are risking people’s lives and we are risking their safety.”
Licensing officer Abi Holman said that although the police wanted to retain the CIA, there were numerous cases where they had agreed conditions with applicants for licensed premises, such as earlier closing hours, which meant they did not fully endorse the restrictions.
The 4-4 vote went along party lines, with Greens and Tories wanting to keep the CIA and Labour and the Lib Dems in favour of its removal.
Main photo: Martin Booth
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