Camden Council’s licensing committee will this month be asked to consider making a number of changes to its policy, including extending the “framework hours” for pubs, bars, restaurants and night clubs in the borough — much to the alarm of residents’ groups.
The draft Statement of Licensing Policy which is being promoted by Councillor Jonathan Simpson MBE, chair of the licensing committee, will be discussed by councillors on Thursday 25 January and then, if given the go-ahead, be put out for public consultation.
Under Camden’s “hours policy” the “framework hours” determines the threshold where venues have to have additional safeguards “in their operating schedule to promote the licensing objectives and in particular to prevent crime and disorder and public nuisance”.
By making the terminal framework hour 30 minutes later for pubs, bars, restaurants and fast food outlets, premises licence holders and new applicants can avoid the additional conditions and scrutiny on their licences normally associated with closing after 11.30pm during the week days or midnight at weekends.
In the case of the proposed terminal framework hour for night clubs, music and dance venues, it will be extended by two hours on Fridays and Saturdays to 2am the following morning.
The borough’s Licensing Panels are already increasingly brazen about granting licenses for the sale of alcohol and late hours for new premises close to people’s homes, according to many residents groups.
The borough of Camden now has more licensed premises than it did in 2019 and resident associations and community groups are becoming more concerned about the number of licences, particularly for alcohol, that the council’s licensing panels are granting.
In a letter to the Camden New Journal, Councillor Richard Cotton said that residents in Camden Town are “understandably concerned” and called for a strengthening of the Cumulative Impact Area policies to offset the “downside of the evening and night-time economy”.
However, those Cumulative Impact Policy Areas could be scrapped in the revision of the licensing policy.
Camden commissioned consultants to undertake a review of the two Cumulative Impact Policies in the borough, Seven Dials and Camden Town, as well as research in other areas such as Fitzrovia.
“Residents feel strongly that a cumulative impact assessment for Camden Town is necessary,” states the consultants’ report.
“The reasons given all relate to addressing existing issues in the area, such as noise. None of the responsible authorities interviewed considered it necessary to publish a cumulative impact assessment in Camden Town.”
In Seven Dials the consultants found that “residents groups were the only stakeholders to strongly call for a cumulative impact assessment. The impact of additional outdoor dining was highlighted as a particularly big driver of the increase in noise issues in Seven Dials.”
A similar response was received in Fitzrovia when the consultants investigated.
“One of the biggest concerns around noise is around the outdoor eating ‘streateries’ that have been installed. There is worry about the levels of noise that are generated through their use. The consultants, as well as other stakeholders, also noted that they do not fit in aesthetically with the strong streetscape in Fitzrovia.
“Residents groups were the only stakeholders to support a cumulative impact assessment for Fitzrovia, the reasons given related to existing issues in the area, such as noise. None of the responsible authorities interviewed considered it necessary to publish a cumulative impact assessment in Fitzrovia,” stated the report.
As a local authority Camden is also responsible for promoting public health. Yet the new licensing regime under consideration actually perpetuates the false claim that when consumed “in moderation” the drinking of alcohol “can have health benefits”.
Only last year the World Health Organisation published a document to clarify matters on alcohol and public health. “No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health” because any potential benefits are outweighed by the cancer risk from even “light” to “moderate” drinking, it said.
The revised licensing policy comes in the wake of a public consultation and a citizen’s assembly on Camden’s evening and night-time economy.
In a report to the committee, licensing officers state:
“This draft Statement of Licensing policy will promote local businesses within the borough. By doing so, it seeks to improve job creation opportunities, contributing to a more vibrant local economy. The overarching goal is to foster sustainable economic growth, ensuring that the borough becomes an attractive hub for businesses to thrive.”
The report asks councillors to consider and comment on the draft policy and recommends that the committee authorise a 12 week public consultation on it.
Camden Council: Licensing Committee – 7pm, Thursday, 25 January 2024.
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