BOROUGH OF POOLE

ENVIRONMENT OVERVIEW GROUP

6th October 2005

CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND POLICE ACT 2001

ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IN PUBLIC PLACES – A REVIEW OF THE 3 PILOT AREAS 6 MONTHS AFTER IMPLEMENTATION

1. Purpose of the Report

1.1 The purpose of this report is to provide an update on the effectiveness of

alcohol free zones in the light of evidence from the 3 pilot areas within the

Borough where the prohibition of drinking in public places has been

implemented.

  1. Decision required

That members note the outcome of the 3 pilot areas and recommend that Cabinet implement the recommendations in paragraph 7 of the report.

3. Backgound

3.1 The Council has powers to make a designation order under s13 of the Criminal Justices Act 2001 in relation to areas where the Council considers that sufficient evidence exists linking public drinking to anti-social behaviour.

3.2 The Council currently have 3 such areas within the Borough designated as alcohol free zones, namely

  • Branksome Recreation Ground
  • Waterloo Estate (parts of)
  • Poole Town (parts of)

3.3 At the meeting of the Environment Overview Group on 7 October 2004, members agreed that any Designation Order would need to be carefully monitored in order that the potential impact of displacement be understood. Members therefore requested that there should be an evaluation of the 3 pilot areas 6 months after they were fully implemented.

4.Evaluation of pilots 6 months on

4.1 The regulation of the zones is the responsibility of The Police. The Police have been unable to provide specific figures as to the number of seizures or the effect that the zones have had on instances of anti-social behaviour, however the overall conclusion is that the alcohol exclusion zones have been a useful tool in preventing violence and anti-social behaviour.

4.2 Consultation has taken place with the area beat officers, local businesses and other interested parties and the following observations in respect of the 3 areas have been made:

4.3 Branksome

  • The beat officer states that he carries out regular foot patrols in the area and the scheme is working well. In the past 6 months he has only had to confiscate 2 lots of alcohol. Initial displacement to the Turner’s Field area has been addresses and resolved and he is not aware of displacement to any other areas. In addition active enforcement by local residents has also helped make this area successful.

4.4 Waterloo

  • The beat officer for Waterloo Estate confirmed that there are currently very few alcohol related incidents in this area. The situation had improved prior to the ban taking effect so it is therefore difficult to establish if the ban has had an impact.

4.5 Poole Town

  • The Police confirm that the ‘no drinking zone’ has had a positive impact on drinking in the town centre and there has been a reduction in the number of problem drunks in the town centre, however it is noted that there has been some displacement to areas just outside the zone, in particular Old Orchard and Chapel Lane
  • The Town Centre Management Team confirms that the situation has improved as there is no longer a congregation of “drunks” sitting in the Town especially in Town Square and this has had the added bonus of reducing the amount of litter left in the area
  • Local businesses in the Town, such as the Lifeboat college, have reported a positive improvement since the ban came into effect especially in the areas known as Cemetery Green and Town Square where “homeless persons” often congregated with cans of beer.
  • In Hill Street, businesses such as Scissors have stated that the alcohol ban combined with other measures has resulted in a 70% improvement in the area and the Baptist Church confirmed that there are now far less bottles and tins left on Church premises, however the Quay Foyer have stated that the problems continued unabated which they believe could be due to the fact that this area is less visible from the High Street and there appears to be less Police enforcement in this area
  • Since the ban came into effect in the area around the bus station, problems have continued to be experienced with people drinking, and it is noted as a concern that this is likely to become even more prevalent in the winter months as “vagrants” see it as a warm place to shelter. Wilts and Dorset have expressed the view, that while fully supporting the alcohol free zone in the area of the bus station, they believe more needs to be done by the Police such as regular patrols of the area. The view has also been expressed that the bus company itself could be more proactive, for example, closer observation of waiting areas, use of tannoy system to remind customers of the alcohol free zones and more liaison with Police officers.

4.6 General

  • In relation to signage, a comment was received that the signs are possibly too small and too high to have a real impact or deterrent effect, however the height at which the signs are positioned is in line with legislation and the size of the signs adopted is comparable with signs displayed in other neighbouring Boroughs/ Districts.

5. Next Steps

5.1Following the successful implementation of the pilot areas it is appropriate for the Borough to consider whether any other areas would benefit from the introduction of a drinking ban. In order to ensure that resources are deployed efficiently a clear policy needs to be agreed in relation to this matter.

5.2Suggestions for any proposed area should first come from the Police and other agencies with responsibility for anti-social behaviour (e.g. members of the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership). A clearly marked map defining the proposed area should be produced outlining the area proposed.

5.3The proposal should then be considered by the appropriate Area Committee. E&CPS will then consult further on the proposal with the Police and other officers and agencies as appropriate.

5.4Upon receipt of these consultations the matter should proceed to Environment Overview Group and then Cabinet for a decision.

5.5If agreed by Cabinet statutory notification via the local media and implementation will then follow.

6Financial Impact

6.1The cost of setting up each of the pilots in relation officer support, media costs and signage provision is approximately £2000.

6.2There are perceived to be savings resulting from the designations in terms of reduced littering, anti social behaviour and vandalism. However these are not easily quantified.

6.3No budget exists within the authority for the creation of additional zones and members will create a budget pressure if the current number of zones is extended.

7Recommendation

7.1That members consider the content of the report and support the outcomes achieved in the 3 pilot areas.

7.2That members recommend to Cabinet that the policy contained within paragraph 5 of this report is introduced for future consideration of potential ban areas.

Shaun Robson

Head of Environmental and Consumer Protection

Contact officer: Linda Cox Tel: 261713