Pub-goers ignore negative press over Licensing Act
Pub-goers have ignored the negative press that greeted the start of the new Licensing Act and are going out just as often, according to a new survey.
Only 15 per cent of respondents to the report from market research company TNS, revealed exclusively to The Publican, said they go out less often than they would like because of the bad press. One in two disagreed that the negative press had put them off.
The Publican ran a hard-hitting campaign against the Daily Mail last year, the chief culprit in stirring up trouble around the start of the new licensing regime.
The survey of 300 pub-goers also revealed that one in three people thought the reformed licensing regime was helping to reduce binge-drinking.
More worryingly, 69 per cent of those questioned said drunk and disorderly people put them off visiting town centres at night.
Of the respondents 42 per cent believed that longer licensing was encouraging more anti-social behaviour, 35 per cent said going out for a drink is not as enjoyable as it was and 54 per cent believe there is much more anti-social behaviour in pubs and bars these days.
TNS's group director of Alcoholic Drinks Research, Kevan Mulcahey, said: "It's still too early to say what the effects of the new Licensing Act have been, but there are no big positives for the on-trade from this research, which is a big concern."
Only 11 per cent of those surveyed said if pubs and bars had longer licensing hours they would be encouraged to go more often. But Mr Mulcahey added: "The new Act is still a big opportunity for the pub trade."
Rick Robinson, licensee at the Willoughby Arms in Kingston, Surrey, said he had only seen positives from the new licensing regime. "Extended hours have stopped the closing time rush that used to spark trouble," he said.
"New Year's Eve and the World Cup have been a big test of the new Act and the trouble predicted by papers such as the Daily Mail hasn't happened. We have definitely had progression rather than regression."
l See next week's issue for full analysis of the TNS research on consumers' views of the on- and off-trade.
