LETTERS page from 01/12/2005

How will my B&B cope with the smoking ban?

Has the Government considered how small hotels will be affected by its suggestion that smoking should be allowed in pubs that do not serve food but not allowed where food is part of the offer?

I run the Flying Horse in Rochdale - it's both a B&B and a pub for locals. We serve lunch and dinner to residents and the general public, and have designated the restaurant as a no-smoking area but allow smoking elsewhere.

I did a questionnaire recently and all my customers - smokers and non-smokers alike - thought this was the right compromise.

My problem is that our maximum number of residents is 15, so a high proportion of my income comes from customers who just come in for a drink and around two-thirds of these are smokers.

So, if I had to ban smoking, it would have a dramatic effect on my business, and if I decided to stop offering food, where would that leave the guests?

What's more, we have a nightclub upstairs where smoking is very much part of the evening out.

I am more than prepared to section off the restaurant completely and have a separate smoking room. Alternatively, we could go with a total ban on smoking at lunchtime but then allow smoking once we have finished serving meals in the evening.

It would be an easy matter to put up signs to make the policy clear to everyone. We already have fans to remove smoke and I'd be prepared to invest in any other changes needed, if I knew the Government was not going to change its mind again in the future.

Samantha Bond

The Flying Horse Hotel

37 Packer Street

Rochdale

Lancashire

The DCMS could learn from Devon's example

I write in respect of the new licensing process and the transition from magistrates to local authority. For the record, I have consistently remained opposed to both the legislation and the transfer of responsibility.

Up and down the country, I've seen ongoing horror stories of the transition to date. However, I am certainly aware of a number of issues that have been experienced both regionally and nationally, but do not appear to have been mirrored here in north Devon.

There have been only minimal appeals and the likely outcome of the process will be at or around budget (so no loading of the council tax) and on schedule.

So what went wrong, or should I say right?

Let's face it, local government is not noted for pragmatism and modern business management techniques, yet these were applied with much success here in north Devon.

Effective communication was maintained by continuing a Licensing Consultation Panel with a broad cross section of interested parties.

The process was extended in that a licensing executive was created, a core nucleus involving officers of North Devon District Council (NDDC), the chairman of the licensing committee - councillor Mair Manuel - and a representative of the trade, for which I was nominated.

The executive was to act as a buffer between the officers and the executive of NDDC and, in my opinion, worked well.

A succession of well-attended public meeting were convened early on in the process. The licensing manager, Mark Curgenven, attended with councillors and entered into effective two-way communication.

We in North Devon have been lucky. Our licensing manager is enthusiastic, effective and emphatic, while the chairman of the licensing committee is a lady who towers above many with enthusiasm, quick wit and a knack of getting to the heart of the problem and dealing with it head on.

Other departments at NDDC - as well as local authorities elsewhere in the country - would do well to learn from the North Devon Experience.

Last week's second appointed day (24 November) will be very closely followed by a review of the process by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Watch this space - I do reserve the right to say 'I told you so'.

Sam Moyse

The Old Court House

South Molton Street

Chulmleigh

Devon

Police conditions limited most pub applications

I feel that the blame for the mere extending of hours by one hour is mainly due to the reaction of the police in most areas of the UK.

In making applications for our company and for clients, we have been advised/persuaded by the police that applications for anything past midnight for public houses would be challenged.

Many police forces have put forward lists of conditions, which puts off the applicant as the balance between operating another extra hour to 1am and the expense of installing 'over-the-top' security -such as door supervisors, CCTV, and not using glass - makes that extra hour a non-starter.

Although the Act makes it clear that licensing authorities must look at each application on its own individual merits, when the police make a representation (comment or objection to an application) it must go before a sub-committee hearing to be determined. Because of the fear of the unknown, most authorities are normally going along with the police requests.

Another point that has hardly ever been mentioned is the fact that since the millennium, all bars and clubs in England and Wales have been able to open for 36 hours from the start of hours on New Year's Eve to close on New Year's Day. This night is one of the busiest nights in the industry. If there is any night of the year anyone would open for 24 hours then this night would be it. So for the last five years, the industry has been able to open for 24 hours on its busiest night. Surveys show that across the country few have actually taken advantage of this 24-hour opening. Few police forces have reported a rise in crime due the longer opening hours on New Year's Eve.

Surely the success of the last five New Year's Eves' longer opening hours should prove to the public that the current hype is not based on any factual evidence?

Michael Kheng, FBII

Kurnia Licensing Consultants

Spanish City

High Street

Mablethorpe

Lincolnshire