Lambeth council wants 'zoned' opening hours
The borough, which also wants to introduce a late-night levy and an early morning restriction order, has proposed the measures in a consultation on its new licensing policy.
Under the plan, venues in residential areas will be limited to 11pm closing. Outlets in district centres will be restricted to between midnight and 1am, and in major town centres there will be 2am closing.
It also proposes introducing Challenge 25 and recommended training in violence, drugs and licensing law for all staff as well as making operators responsible for the safety of vulnerable customers.
Transparency
Councillor Leanne Targett-Parker, chair of Lambeth’s Licensing Committee, said: "This new policy aims to bring greater transparency to the licensing regime, and we are confident better balances a system which had arguably been inconsistent in application and delivery.
"This inconsistency sees Lambeth at the wrong end of league tables for alcohol related serious violence and harm from alcohol, linked to the availability of alcohol and harm from alcohol.
"The desired move to cafe culture did not materialise, in part due to a lack of discretion about who wishes to operate here and what they wished to operate."
Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers
Kate Nicholls, strategic affairs director, said: "This is another example of overly prescriptive local policies gold plating already stringent national regulations and completely ignoring the issue of pocket money supermarket sales, preloading and personal responsibility, which are the real factors driving alcohol related harms.
"The policy will hit responsible operators with additional costs and constraints - jeopardising the thousands of jobs and millions of pounds of GVA licensed hospitality invests in Lambeth. It is not only short sighted it also undermines the positive partnership approach we know delivers real results."
