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Video nasty gives a misleading view
• THE video shown by the police at a recent licensing meeting is a misleading representation of Camden Town (Cops reveal violence on video nasty, February 12).
The council works hard to ensure the impact of licensed venues in the area is kept to a minimum for residents, through licensing enforcement and work carried out through the community safety partnership.
However, we must maintain a balance so the area is still vibrant and attractive to visitors, who bring economic benefits to Camden’s businesses.
Camden Town has the highest number of late-night venues in the borough. To reflect the issues this can bring, it is a Special Policy Area. There are restrictions in place for all licensed premises and for anyone wanting to obtain a licence in the area.
We normally refuse new licence applications in Camden Town unless an applicant can prove their premises will not add to the impact of the already large number of venues. The same principle applies to those wanting to increase the capacity of a venue.
The peak time for violent offending is weekend nights, and most offences happen around pubs and nightclubs. Our licensing team monitor premises every weekend until the early hours. Where there are problems, we take follow-up compliance and enforcement action.
Specific work is carried out to identify “high-risk” premises, and closely monitor them. The premises are identified during regular joint tasking meetings with the police, fire brigade, licensing and noise teams.
We recognise that longer opening hours can mean people drink more and anti-social behaviour increases. The likely impact of allowing a premises later opening hours is therefore taken into account when making licensing decisions, through Camden’s hours policy.
Your article mentions there has been a 47 per cent increase in violent crime in Camden Town. There is a 42.7 per cent increase in recorded Violence Against the Person (VAP) according to figures at the end of January 2009.
The majority of this increase is down to the proactive work of Camden Town’s police and PCSOs. The VAP figures include the offences of urinating in the street and possession of an offensive weapon. Camden Town’s police and PCSOs have been proactively increasing the number of fixed penalty notices they issue for urinating, and have increased the number of stop and searches they carry out, leading to a rise in the number of weapons they discover. When these offences are taken out of the figures VAP offences are actually down.
We recognise Camden Town presents unique challenges. Camden’s licensing policy plays a significant role in addressing these issues but it is one of many tools that can be used. We will continue to work with all our partners to seek the best solution for residents, while ensuring Camden Town remains one of the most attractive places to socialise in London.
Cllr Chris Knight
Executive Member, Environment
Strategy for licensing
• YOUR article on alcohol-related violence in Camden Town was grim reading for me as a member of the licensing committee.
We have many well-run pubs and clubs throughout Camden borough but our major entertainment zones in Holborn, Covent Garden and Camden Town do clearly suffer as a consequence of a small number of poorly managed venues.
I asked for Camden to extend their special policy zone, where there is a presumption against giving out a licence to any new venue, to Bloomsbury and Holborn over a year ago. But Liberal Democrat and Conservative councillors both said that further research was needed before they could do this. Why they could not listen to the considerable evidence being put forward by residents that showed the need for an extension of these zones escapes me.
At the last licensing committee, councillors were shown evidence which showed that a special policy zone should be set up for the whole of Holborn and Covent Garden over a year after I suggested it should be introduced. It’s taken the council over a year to listen to the calls from residents, which is deeply depressing. Further work is going to be undertaken in Bloomsbury despite the calls from residents and amenity groups.
I have now called on the council to come up with a full enforcement strategy for our problem venues who deliberately flout the conditions we impose. The new licensing legislation gave local authorities considerable powers to close badly run pubs but until Camden properly resources enforcement the problems we have in some of venues will continue.
I do not ever want to have to be shown another violent alcohol-fuelled video nasty again, but if the Lib Dem/Conservative-run council continues to ignore the problems I fear that I will have to.
Cllr Jonathan Simpson
Labour, King’s Cross ward |
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