Alcohol disorder zones would be ‘a disaster’ for Liverpool
Jun 9 2008 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post
Joe Curran, member of the crime reduction team at Chamber of Commerce _320
A SENIOR business leader last night urged Liverpool council not to introduce an “alcohol disorder zone” (ADZ), saying it could “desolate” parts of the city centre.
Joe Curran, night-time economy manager for Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, said it was an “ill- conceived” piece of legislation that gave powers to set up the zones, within which premises linked to late-night trouble would meet the costs of extra policing and clean-ups.
Mr Curran’s call followed revelations in the Daily Post last week that Liverpool appeared to be out of step with most councils in pursuing the idea of setting up a ADZ.
The Local Government Association (LGA) branded the zones “over-bureaucratic, over-complicated and unnecessary”.
Mr Curran said: “To be honest, this has alarmed many in the trade.
“It would blacken the reputation of the whole city, particularly when crime figures are at their lowest for ten years.”
He said the city’s pubs and bars were already working well to help reduce crime, through a radio link, and the use of metal detectors, and around 170 bar staff had been sent on conflict resolution courses.
He said: “We already have ways of dealing with disorder.
“Police have more power than they have ever had before, and can close a premise for 24 hours – an ADZ is not needed.
“We will do as much as we possibly can to make sure we do not get an Alcohol Disorder Zone.”
He said other cities like Manchester and Newcastle had shunned the idea because it would be a public relations disaster, while fines would be unfair to responsible businesses.
The zones were hastily proposed as a solution to stark warnings of greater late-night trouble when 24-hour drinking was introduced.
A “yellow card” system will give pubs, clubs and off-licences linked to disorder just eight weeks to clean up their act or face a bill for extra policing, street-cleaning and even hospital costs.
Police and trading standards officers will be given the power to ban premises from selling alcohol for 24 hours if they are persistently selling to under-18s.
And a “three-strikes-and-you’re-out” crackdown would ban anyone given three on-the-spot fines for drink-related offences.
Last week, a Liverpool City Council spokesman pointed out that, in its Business Improvement District, local bars and clubs were already contributing towards extra street cleaning and litter collection.
He added: “There are ongoing discussions with the police and businesses about how we could use this legislation. The city centre is clearly an obvious place to have one.
“Clearly, we will make sure there are detailed discussions and a full consultation with our partners, such as the police and club and pub trade, before making a decision.”
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