Managing Blackpool’s Night Time Economy

Steve Morton, Alcohol Harm Reduction Policy Officer

Mark Marshall, Licensing & Health & Safety Manager

Louise Scales, Alcohol Harm reduction Police Officer

The situation

Approx 10 Million visitors

Top 5 for Violent Crime

One of the busiest A&E Departments

Highest concentration of bars outside of London

Concentration of Off Licences, one for every (approx) 200 people in some wards.

Tools used

Night Time Economy Strategy

Altn8

Night Safe

Saturation Policy

Designated Public Place Order

Night Time Economy Strategy

• Developed during 2008 by an interagency working group• The strategy aims to –

– Provide a single point of reference for initiatives and interventions

– Highlight Blackpool’s uniqueness of place

– Outline the future aspiration for the night time and weekend economy offer in Blackpool, and the measures we intend to implement to achieve this.

Blackpool’s Strategic Partnership Vision

• Goal 1: Improve Blackpool’s Economic Prosperity

• A key objective within this goal is ‘to create high quality, all-year-round reasons to come to Blackpool’ of which a successful and sustainable night time and weekend economy is an important feature.

• Goal 2: Develop a Safe, Clean, and Pleasant place to Live, Work and Visit

• Within this goal, two key objectives are of particular relevance to this document:

• ‘Create a Safer Blackpool’

• ‘Create a Cleaner and Greener Blackpool’

Blackpool’s Strategic Partnership Vision Continued

• Goal 3: Improve Skill Levels and Educational Achievement

• 5% of Blackpool’s workforce is employed within licensed premise. A key objective for Goal 3 is ‘to foster a workforce with the vocational skills to meet the needs of Blackpool’s economy’ which includes ensuring that the night time and weekend economy is suitably managed to provide a positive customer experience.

• Goal 4: Improve the Health and Well-being of the Population

• There are obvious links between the binge-drinking culture associated with the night time economy, and the health and well-being of the population – be this through the short and long term effects of excessive alcohol consumption, or alcohol related accidents, violence and sexual promiscuity within the night time economy. Key objectives within this goal include:

• ‘Encourage healthy lifestyles and emotional well-being for the whole population’

• ‘Reduce teenage conception rates and improve sexual health’

Saturation Policy

• Established 2007• Challenged successfully by Wetherspoons• Consulted again• Established new Cumulative Impact Policy in

town centre• Established off sales Cumulative Impact

Policy in 3 wards.

Designated Public Place Order

• Increasing gatherings of young people drinking

• Collected data from Police, licencing, health• Consulted• Established Order in a range of areas across

the town

Altn8

• Poster Campaign• Radio Campaign• Polycarbonates• Music Competition• Altn8 Challenge

Police led activities

• Nightsafe Policing

• Operation Acrylic

• Education

Getting people home safely

• Taxi Marshalls

• Safe Haven

• Multi Agency Rapid Response Vehicle

Education

• The purpose- Sec 182 Guidance and the ability to demonstrate reasonableness

• Methods include monthly compliance training

• Licensing Manuals• Funding NCPLH courses from Licensing fees• Bespoke talks to business’s

Engagement

• Pub Watch meetings• Advice or written warnings• Consultation with area Managers & Licence holders • ( key issue is to minute and include in Reviews )• Elected member engagement

Engagement

• Written warning re breach of conditions- point out the breach , time limit the issue, swift follow up failure to comply, prosecute

• Consultation- minuted meeting spelling out the issues, suggested improvements, time scale for improvement then follow up. Failure results in Review.

• Elected members receive a detailed power point presentation every quarter

Che Bar

Underage Sale in January• Increased popularity raised concerns

regarding the management of numbers control and and the queues outside

• Glass Related Injury and potential for huge crime and Disorder resulted in voluntary closure

Enforcement

Operations

Reviews

Prosecutions

Results

Operations

• Op Accommodation- 9 month campaign on problematic hotels resulted in a 8%reduction in violent crime and ASB

• 29 Prosecution Reports, 2 Licensing Reviews,55 improvement notices

• Targeted Hotels in crime hot spots at key times.• Serving to non residents and underage ( TP’s), Authorisation

issues• Fire safety and health and safety • Conditions of licence.

The Washington

• 3 underage sales-Reviewed• Conditions added ?• Additional sale 6 months later- 28 day

suspension• Appealed – Further evidence obtained,

accepted the suspension despite threats they were going to take the case all the way.

Tappas Bar

• 4 under age sales in 18 months period• Multiple Licensing Breach’s• Health and Safety matters• Attempted to agree a term of suspension• Given 6 weeks by the committee plus a raft of

conditions and removal of DPS• Appealed- further evidence obtained and eventually

accepted suspension.

Close up of exposed electrical terminals, would carry 240v shock, human lethality most common between 100-250v

Extraction unit not fit for purpose pulling the Gas fumes away from upstairs leaving Carbon Monoxide in the cellar

Inadequate storage of waste blocking the fire escapes

Rotting food in the fridge

Result ?

Immediate closure of the premises

Extensive Improvement notices

Licensing Review

Two Year Comparison Chart

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

May-07

Aug-07

Nov-07

Feb-08

May-08

Aug-08

Nov-08

Feb-09

May-09

Pubs

Hotels

Takeaways

Any Questions?