The night time economy in Bath brings both benefits and
problems to residents and visitors alike. Nowhere is this more true than George
Street, where, in a space of some 300 metres there are 14 licensed premises.
Bath city centre is unusual because of the large number of people who chose to
live there; you are rarely more than 20 metres from somebody’s home. The
population of the George Street area is very socially and economically diverse,
with a high level of owner occupation. There is also a large hotel and a number
of B&B’s and holiday apartments.
In the early evening the night time economy is mainly
focussed on restaurants and late night shopping. After about 22:30 it is driven
by drinkers and clubbers. In George Street itself people come to drink at pubs
early in the evening. As these close the flow is then towards the three main
night clubs. When these close between 02.00 and 03.00 substantial numbers
return down Broad Street and Milsom Street to the various transport hubs.
Between April 2012 and February 2013 28.1% of the violent
crime and 28.1% of the anti-social behaviour reported in Bath happened in the
George Street area
Following unceasing complaints from their members, the two Residents
Associations for the area, CARA and TARA, decided to undertake a joint study of
the impact of the night time economy. Its purpose was to identify the issues
created for residents, and the causes of these problems, with a view to
generating a discussion about how they might be resolved.
We recognise that little can be done without the help of the
relevant agencies. In the next phase of our study we are hoping to engage
officers from these in a discussion of our findings and observations and begin
a process of seeking practical solutions to what is an increasingly
unsatisfactory situation.
Some of the proposals that have arisen in the course of our enquiry
which we believe should form the basis of these discussions are summarised below:
- BANES need to review the operation of the Cumulative
Impact Policy with a view to either:
a. Finding ways to make the
policy effective
b. Consider replacing the policy
with Early Morning Alcohol Restriction Orders
- BANES need to make use of its new powers to instigate
reviews of all licences with poor, unenforcable conditions particularly those relating to noise
- BANES should be using its new position as an interested
party to review conditions on premises which routinely attract complaints and
are routinely observed to breach conditions
- BANES should be using its new position as an interested
party to hold licenced premises to account for promises and assertions made at
licencing committee hearings
- CARA and TARA should work with the police and BANES on a
campaign to improve understanding of and confidence in reporting
processes
- CARA and TARA should work with BANES to improve the
effectiveness of CCTV coverage
- BANES should explore the potential for reviewing
decisions about the toilet provision licensed premises are required to make
particularly where current provision was established more than 10 years ago
The full text of our report is available on request