500 towns and cities want our ‘booze rules’

THE number of local authorities looking to Oldham as an example of how to tackle binge drinking has reached a staggering 500.

All eyes have been the town since “Panorama — The Truth About Happy Hour” — was shown last week. The documentary showcased moves to introduce strict regulations in bars selling cheap drinks.

The volume of interest has been so high that the council’s Trading Standards team has compiled a document outlining their reviews of town centre bars and clubs.

Yesterday, the Chronicle revealed that officials from booze-plagued Newquay are hoping to learn from Oldham’s moves to crack down on drink-fuelled violence.

Now Portsmouth, Bury, Burnley, Manchester and St Helens councils are to send officers to Oldham to see how the new rules work in practice.

And other authorities, including Bournemouth, the Wirral, Bolton, Wolverhampton, Norwich and Berkshire have also expressed an interest in finding out more.

Councillor Mark Alcock, who appeared on the programme, said: “Since ‘Panorama’, the interest from other licensing authorities has been growing by the hour.

“As the BBC programme showed, Oldham is certainly not alone in suffering from alcohol misuse and anti-social behaviour — this is a nationwide problem.

“We’re proud of the lead that we and our partners have taken on this and are happy to share our experience.”

The new Trading Standards dossier outlines the action taken in Oldham and also attempts to dispel some misconceptions.

He added that, contrary to some reports, the license reviews are not illegal or a breach of competition law.

Councillor Alcock said: “There have also been allegations that what we have done constitutes minimum pricing, that it was disproportionate or unreasonable, contrary to guidance and policy, and even that it blocks the introduction of a ‘Best Bar None’ scheme.

“The dossier we are sending out makes our case clear on all those points and should offer a very useful starting point for discussions within other licensing authorities.

“While we fully accept that licensed premises must be free to operate in a competitive commercial environment, we know that irresponsible cheap drink promotions can also be a function of that market place.

“If such promotions are run, adequate measures are needed to tackle the associated issues with public safety, nuisance, and crime and disorder.

“We make no apologies for acting to ensure that happens in Oldham and are certain others will follow our example.”