Licensees' pub group in terminal hour fight

The newly-formed Brighton & Hove Licensees Association (B&HLA) — initially set up to help beat the late-night levy — is to take on plans for an 11.30pm terminal hour for pubs in residential areas.

Green councillors have proposed a terminal hour for pubs in residential areas — dubbed the Responsible Licensing Scheme.

Green Party leader and Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas also backed the idea in a letter to Brighton pub-owners.

But Pleisure Pub Company boss and B&HLA spokesman Nick Griffin said the

proposals had been a spur to setting up the B&HLA, which now has nearly 100 venues

signed up.

"You have much more clout if you stand up and say, 'we represent 100 venues worth £50m to the local economy, and employ this many people'," he said.

Ill informed​

Griffin said the proposal was "ill-informed" and went way beyond Government proposals on early-morning restriction orders, due to come in as part of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill.

The B&HLA proposes to run a scheme called Inn-Credible, which it sees as an operator-led version of Best Bar None but better suited

to the "unique" Brighton licensed trade.

But Griffin warned that it must be supported by the police and the city council.

"If, as an industry, we feel there is no advantage to adopting best practice, we risk running a city with a late-night economy that is not determined to improve itself and the environment it operates in.

"We feel certain that

neither the police, local authority nor the licensed trade itself believes such a scenario is desirable."

• Premises interested in joining the association can email OUYN@zr.pbz​.​