Councils want evidence of Best Bar None success

Best Bar None (BBN) schemes are struggling to get off the ground in some parts of the country because councils are unwilling to stump up cash to fund them.

At a BBN briefing this week council officers and police told chief executive John McNamara that it was difficult to get investment in the scheme from their authorities without "robust evidence" of a reduction in crime.

West Mercia Police licensing officer Tony Mantle said he had been promised a dedicated member of staff to co-ordinate BBN in Shrewsbury but when budgets were drawn and a deficit appeared, "that person was the first to go".

And Laura Briggs, alcohol officer at Sheffield's drug and alcohol action team, said: "People holding the purse strings are understandably looking for robust evidence before they hand over a significant amount of money. But because Best Bar None is part of a lot of other initiatives which can devaluate its impact, its hard to get that evidence at the moment."

McNamara said: "Clearly funding is a problem, and we cannot leave this table without discussing it."

He added that he hoped the BBN's inaugural conference at Doncaster Racecourse in September would allay fears.

"The conference will discuss how you present yourself for sponsorship," he said.

He also announced that BBN could move into the off-trade.

"The main board and the Home Office have concerns about the off-trade. It is on the agenda for our next board meeting.

"If Tesco and Sainsbury's start to take an interest, they've clearly got lots of financial muscle," he said, adding that the supermarkets could provide an untapped source of funding in some areas.