Notts plans city-wide ban on street drinking

Nottingham plans to use a new law to inflict a total ban on street drinking.

In what's believed to be a first, the city council wants to use powers under a 2007 law, set to come into force next year, to force a city-wide ban.

The Local Government and Public Involvement Act lets councils implement byelaws across a range of areas without permission from the Government. The Council believes this will include blanket bans on street drinking.

There are currently three Designated Public Place Orders banning drinking in different parts of Nottingham. A council spokesman said: "This can often lead to those intent on drinking in the streets moving to other areas, creating problems for residents and for Neighbourhood Policing teams trying to crack down on anti-social behaviour."

Councillor Jon Collins, leader of Nottingham City Council, said: "We have been at the forefront of tackling anti-social behaviour including street drinking. It's one of the main things that residents tell us is of concern to them.

"A city-wide ban would help us to deal more effectively with this problem and give all our residents the reassurance that irresponsible drinking and the loutish behaviour that all too often follows will not be tolerated in the streets of Nottingham.

"We will actively pursue any opportunity that the new legislation provides for us to introduce a city-wide ban on street drinking."

The council spokesman said the law "would not be applied to those drinking responsibly such as families having a picnic in a city park".