Agenda item

To consider the report of the Chief Officer Elections and Regulatory seeking consideration for the Dewsbury Road area of the Hunslet and Riverside ward to be assessed for cumulative impact at the request of the Safer Stronger Communities Team and Public Health. The report includes the relevant cumulative impact assessment and the Committee is asked to decide if there is sufficient evidence to warrant proceeding and, if so, to approve the assessment be taken out to the public and affected businesses for a public consultation.

The Chief Officer, Elections and Regulatory, submitted a report seeking consideration of a request for the Dewsbury Road area of the Hunslet and Riverside ward to be assessed for cumulative impact. The request had been submitted by the Safer Stronger Communities Team and Public Health and the report included the relevant cumulative impact assessment. The Committee was asked to decide if there was sufficient evidence to warrant proceeding and, if so, to approve that the assessment be released for consultation with the public and affected businesses.

A copy of the ‘Cumulative Impact Assessment Beeston’ was included in the report at Appendix 1 with a copy of Amended Section 7 of the Licensing Act 2003 Statement of Licensing Policy attached as Appendix 2.

The Principal Licensing Officer presented the report outlining the methodology used to assess the area and highlighting the following:

·  The Dewsbury Road area of Beeston was the subject of additional resources with a multiagency problem solving group looking at solutions to antisocial behaviour and crime in the area.

·  The increasing number of shops and takeaways licensed for the sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises in the area and the availability of alcohol was impacting on the levels of antisocial behaviour in the area.

·  Information gathered from local businesses and residents revealed that the city-side of Cross Flatts Park was an area of most concern, however the crime and nuisance recorded in that area was relatively low compared to the data recorded for the Beeston Hill side of the park.

·  It was suggested that the assessment should focus on off-licence premises operating at any time, and late-night takeaways.

During discussions, the following matters were considered:

·  It was noted that cumulative impact assessment areas implemented elsewhere in the city had been successful in addressing public nuisance or anti-social behaviour associated with alcohol consumption, especially when linked to other measures, such as the Clear, Hold, Build approach in Harehills.

·  There were 44 off-licence premises in the Dewsbury Road area.  The Committee noted a CIA was primarily designed to deal with anti-social behaviour and public nuisance.

·  The focus of the assessment was on premises with an off-licence, rather than those premises which held an on-licence and provided a safe space place for consumption of alcohol.

(Councillor Downes joined the meeting at this point)

·  Issues of public nuisance in the area in the form of litter surrounding late night take-aways was a further reported problem of local concern.

·  The Committee noted that the proposed Beeston CIA would form part of the Statement of Licensing Policy and would be reviewed every three years. Adjacent areas not falling within the Beeston CIA will be monitored to establish whether there should be future inclusion in the Beeston CIA. 

The Committee supported the proposal for consultation on a Beeston CIA and recognised CIAs as an additional tool to assist Member decision making at Licensing Sub Committee hearings. Members welcomed the report that work was ongoing to make an approach to the new Government seeking to strengthen powers of a CIA.

Having considered the cumulative impact assessment, the Committee

RESOLVED

a)  To agree that there was sufficient evidence to warrant proceeding and,

b)  To approve the assessment be taken out to the public and affected businesses for a public consultation, along with the amended Section 7 of the Licensing Act 2003 Statement of Licensing Policy.