New licensing laws 'not creating a café culture' - IAS report shows

Early claims that the new licensing laws for pubs and bars would lead to a continental-style café culture in Britain have been called into question in a new report by researchers at the University of Westminster.

The report, Expecting 'Great Things'? The Impact of the Licensing Act 2003 on Democratic Involvement, Dispersal and Drinking Cultures, was commissioned and funded by the Institute of Alcohol Studies.

It looked at three by-products of the act – the relationship between pubs, clubs and the local community, the effect on the diversity of nightlife provided and the dispersal of punters at closing time. It found that there was little evidence to suggest drinkers had adopted a more leisurely, continental approach to drinking, and only a small change in the diversity of nightlife provided in town centres.

However, the report found that the changes in licensing had had a generally positive effect on community relations in the areas examined, with residents and local councillors alike feeling that they had more of a say in the process of granting and challenging licensing decisions.

The report was compiled by Marion Roberts, a professor of urban design in the University's School of Architecture and the Built Environment, and Adam Eldridge, a post-doctoral research fellow. They conducted interviews with some of Britain's leading late-night operators, and Professor Roberts conducted case studies of four areas – the eastern fringe of London, Chelmsford, Newmarket and Norwich – over a four month period, including in-depth interviews with residents, licensing officers, senior councillors and the police.

The results indicated that there was a mixed reaction to the effectiveness of ‘staggered’ closing times of premises, with areas that had good arrangements for policing and transport reporting successes in the peaceful dispersal of drinkers, while areas with venues close to houses, or with narrow streets, still saw problems.

Professor Roberts said: “This report goes some way to proving that while the new licensing laws have had some positive impacts, depending on the context, there is still a long way to go before the Government’s initial hopes of a more relaxed approach to alcohol consumption are realised.”