By Niall McCann of thePublican.com's team of legal experts from London solicitors Joelson Wilson.
The government is pushing through a series of reforms known collectively as the "reform and respect agenda". A central pillar of this package is the plan to install alcohol disorder zones (ADZs).
This is a flashy title for a geographical area, agreed by the police and local authority, where steps will be taken to curb the activities of people causing alcohol-related disorder and to control premises serving drink.
Until the Bill is passed we will not have sight of the guidelines to accompany it and further consultation still has to take place. Of particular concern is the issue of money. It is being proposed that premises in ADZs should have to pay for the extra policing, clean-up costs and so on which, according to the Daily Mail in any event, could amount to an average, per premises, of £100 per week.
The difficulty is that, while the suggestion of ADZs no doubt plays well with the electorate, any such measure will be unwieldy and essentially unfair. As I frequently protest before council licensing sub-committees, you should not penalise well-run pubs for the sins of others. What, for example, will happen if you are a respectable establishment surrounded by rogue traders? Once areas become ADZs will this not exacerbate the problem in making them no-go zones?
And, as Mark Hastings, communications director of the British Beer & Pub Association and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors rightly point out, what about property prices for those premises in an ADZ?
Unlike the Licensing Act 2003 the introduction of ADZs is not inevitable. Now is your chance to speak out. People such as Mark Hastings have already articulated their concern. Further pressure can be brought to bear by lobbying your local MP.
It is important to recognise that the behaviour of establishments other than your own can affect your business. Be proactive by:
- Attending Pubwatch meetings (or those of similar organisations), or if one does not exist in your area, by forming your own
- Being extra vigilant in respect of underage sales and drunks.
If the industry is prepared to self-regulate then the need for government regulation may be averted.