Blackpool Council agrees to EMRO rejection

Blackpool Council has endorsed the licensing committee’s recommendation to reject an early morning restriction order (EMRO), which would have banned the sale of alcohol after 3am within the town centre.

The authority approved the recommendation at a full Council meeting last night, after the licensing committee decided an EMRO would not have a positive effect on violent crime following a four-day hearing in February 2014.

If introduced, Blackpool would have been the first council to implement the measure and it is thought this would have given other local authorities the green light.

'Very good news'

British Beer & Pub Association chief executive Brigid Simmonds said: “This is very good news. Blackpool has considered the evidence, from ourselves and others, in very great detail, and have understood the damage an EMRO would have inflicted on the local trade.

“I hope other councils take heed. Making partnerships work, to tackle any late night problems, has got to be a better way forward.”

Lambeth Council also rejected plans for an EMRO last week, stating that the legislation needs re-examining to see if it is suitable for solving the problem of late-night nuisance from bars and clubs.

There are currently no local authorities consulting on an EMRO.