Brighton's saturation zone reduced

Related tags Proposal Proposals Brighton

The huge saturation zone proposed for most of central Brighton has been reduced to barely a third of its original size. Brighton & Hove City...

The huge saturation zone proposed for most of central Brighton has been reduced to barely a third of its original size.

Brighton & Hove City Council has amended the Cumulative Impact Area (CIA) after being warned that the 4km sq zone would be open to legal challenge.

The proposed CIA will now be restricted to the city's central drinking circuit. Nick Griffin, of Brighton-based managed operator Pleisure Limited, submitted a detailed report to the council against the plans. He said: "It's great news for Brighton operators and it's good to see that common sense has prevailed.

"The initial proposal was completely disproportionate to what's actually going on."

Nick Bish, of the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers, who advised Griffin on putting together his submission, said: "It was a very extravagant and ill-thought-through proposal. Huge praise should be given to the local operators who managed to make a coherent case against it. We should be proud of what they have achieved."

But the council is proposing two further zones on the perimeter of the CIA that will be monitored. The council claims that the "special stress areas", will be the first of their kind in the country.

A council spokesperson said: "The 'special stress areas' will be closely monitored to see if the CIA needs expanding and [within them] the council will look to impose robust measures to counter public disorder and nuisance."

In a saturation zone or CIA triggered by a Cumulative Impact Policy (CIP), any operator applying for a new license will be subject to a "presumption of refusal" and must demonstrate that their presence would not fuel disorder.

Related topics Licensing law

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