Thursday, 28 August 2008
Licence Directory PageA major concern for Doncaster town centre is the “binge drinking” culture and its impact on policing the night time economy and the town centre streets. Binge drinking has increased markedly over recent years with the advent of:
Year on year there has been a reduction in alcohol related crime due to the implementation of local initiatives involving partnership working between the Council, Police and other statutory/voluntary bodies. However the incidence of crime continues to be a cause for concern in some areas of Doncaster town centre, in particular relating to large vertical drinking establishments. Therefore an area of the town centre which is of concern to local agencies and the Police has now been identified as a Cumulative Impact Area. The Police will generally oppose any further applications for large vertical drinking establishments in the identified area.
The Cumulative Impact Area within the town centre has the highest levels of alcohol related to violent crime and disorder i.e. 64% of alcohol related crime and disorder takes place on the streets within the identified Cumulative Impact Area (Police statistics 2006-2007). Most of these violent offences occur in the evening with a particular focus on the weekend and Tuesday, which is student night in Doncaster. The majority of offences committed within the identified area occur after 8pm, with a rise at the weekend. There is no obvious seasonal variation - the problem exists all year round.
The following table gives a breakdown of offences committed in the Cumulative Impact Area:
| Silver Street | 32.0% |
| Priory Walk | 13.0% |
| High Street | 5.3% |
| Hall Gate | 11.5% |
| Bradford Row | 2.3% |
Applications made for premises licences within the adopted Cumulative Impact Area will be based on the individual merits of each application, and if the application is unlikely to significantly add to this cumulative impact, then the licence may be granted.
The difference between commercial need and the cumulative impact of premises in an area will remain separate. Need is a matter for the planning committee and for market forces, the cumulative impact of licensed premises on the promotion of the licensing objectives is a proper matter for the Licensing Authority and its committee to consider.
The consideration of an application in such a designated area will not include a mandatory closing time for the entire area.
The Licensing Authority has therefore adopted a Cumulative Impact Policy, following the consultation procedure as set out in Item 5 of the Licensing Policy January 2008 for the following streets in Doncaster Town Centre:
The full Licensing Policy can be found here
