City to ban all street drinking
NOTTINGHAM could become the first city in Britain to introduce a blanket ban on drinking in public places.
The city council has already banned drinking in the city centre and several other areas, including Sneinton, Hyson Green, St Ann's and Mapperley.
Now it wants to introduce a city-wide ban in a bid to prevent alcohol-fuelled violence and people creating a nuisance in the street.
The orders mean that anyone caught drinking in the street can have alcohol taken off them.
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If a person refuses they can be arrested or given a £50 on-the-spot fine.
The council says the bans, known as designated public places orders, have worked well in other parts of the city.
Councillor Alex Norris, the city's community safety spokesman, said: "Areas of the city that are currently covered by designated public places orders have seen decreases in reports of antisocial behaviour.
"The number of alcoholic drinks being confiscated in these areas has decreased by around 40 per cent in the last year and we attribute this to the robust use of these orders.
"A city-wide ban will ensure that we have the power to deal with alcohol-related antisocial behaviour in the same robust way in every single one of our neighbourhoods."
The city council, working with Community Protection – a partnership between the police and council – is currently collecting evidence to establish whether there is enough cause for a blanket ban.
This will include the number of phone calls received from members of the public reporting street drinking and the number of incidents attended by police.
A public consultation will be held and, if a city-wide ban is approved, signs advertising the order will be placed across Nottingham. A decision is expected later in the year.
Chief Superintendent Simon Nickless, police divisional commander for Nottingham, hoped the ban would be used with other initiatives to help prevent antisocial drinking.
He said: "What we have found is with these orders, rather than waiting for negative things to happen, are helping prevent trouble."
Bill Blackamore, 70, of Bulwell Forest, welcomed the move. "Sadly, alcohol is a real problem," he said.
"I think it is as bad as any of the drugs that aren't as available and the damage it does to families and communities is equally as immense."
21 Comments
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by Vox_Populii
Sunday, March 10 2013, 9:27PM
“I can understand why some would want this implemented, but rather than having another stitched up consultation, why not put it to a local referendum?”
by SteveBasford
Sunday, March 10 2013, 1:31PM
“Dam, I quite enjoy an al fresco Super-T , best decanted or served straight from the tin.”
by digbypatch
Sunday, March 10 2013, 8:55AM
“There is ban in force in Beeston town centre and that is because of the street drinkers that you used to see around the Square and surrounding areas and the local parks.
You see the odd one staggering about but it is a lot better than it used to be.”
by digbypatch
Sunday, March 10 2013, 8:49AM
“Mint_sauce
If the smoker with his pint is outside on pub premises ie the garden or land belonging to them they cannot have there's drinks confiscated.”
by fastrace
Sunday, March 10 2013, 8:23AM
“Is this all public places or just in the street ?”
by mint_sause
Sunday, March 10 2013, 7:23AM
“Does this mean a smoker who brings his pint outside the pub with him will have it confiscated and have to pay a £50 fine?”
by FormerlyW
Sunday, March 10 2013, 12:12AM
“"Once again the real issue is missed, MONEY, these would be civil offences and doubtless NCC will be the first in the queue to enforce them at £50 a time its another lucrative revenue stream for little outlay." --- smshogun
Perhaps you should read what is actually proposed (and already implemented in much of the City) rather than making untrue assumptions that fit your prejudices. According to this article, all the Council are likely to end up with are some half-empty cans of lager, so, no, not a means to raise revenue.
But then you never were one to let little problems like facts stand in the way of the "truth" revealed to you alone.”
by mof_gedling
Saturday, March 09 2013, 10:26PM
“and, if a city-wide ban is approved, signs advertising the order will be placed across Nottingham"
hehe they are pretty good at signs,maybe we can have it plastered all over the council vehicles and a few notes in the arrow,”
by smshogun
Saturday, March 09 2013, 8:51PM
“Now, that's a contrary statement neo.”
by Neo_MadBadger
Saturday, March 09 2013, 7:25PM
“Oh, and lesta, you have failed to address the point about you complaining about street drinkers here previously, the very people this regulation would address. Or is your opinion that such people should be free to drink wherever they like and cause disruption? I mean, after all, the law as it stands does allow for the arrest of those who are drunk and disorderly, but some people, you might be one of them, object to seeing people that they take offence to drinking in public whether they are drunk and disorderly or not just because. I call it Daily Mail syndrome.”