Issue - meetings

Report of the Cabinet Member Housing and Safety

Having declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this item Councillor Chard left the room and did not participate in the debate.

Councillor Jeffries, as Cabinet Member Housing and Safety, introduced the report saying Cheltenham has a vibrant night-time economy that far exceeds other towns of similar sizes. The town offers a rich choice of entertainment and facilities which makes it a destination that attracts high numbers of visitors, with some travelling considerable distances to enjoy what the late night economy has to offer. The town also hosts a number of internationally renowned festivals throughout the year.

He reminded Members that although the vast majority of people visiting the town do so safely and responsibly, an active night-time economy nonetheless demands additional resource and cost for the council, police and other partners to deal with associated crime, disorder and other anti-social behaviour.  The council has set out a priority to strengthen communities by making those communities feel safe and ensuring they are safe.  By working in partnership with the police and other stakeholders it has brought forward a proposal to adopt a late night levy in Cheltenham.

He advised that the late night levy is a new discretionary power arising from Part 2 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011.  The levy can be charged to persons who are licensed to sell alcohol between midnight and 6am as a means for raising a contribution towards the costs of policing the late night economy.

He drew attention to the exemptions which the council could choose to apply and also the discretion as to the proportion of the funds raised, which it must allocate to the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).  The levy if adopted would raise around £200,000 before exemptions, reductions for costs and any variations.  The report outlined the consultation that had taken place and the issues that had been raised

In coming to a decision as to whether to adopt the levy the council must consider the cost of policing and the desirability of raising revenue.  The costs of policing were set out in section 8.9 of the report. It  could be seen that these costs were significant and in terms of desirability of raising the revenue, Councillor Jeffries felt that public safety and the costs of cleaning were important factors.

Section 11 of the report set out the outcomes which might be achieved with the introduction of the levy, and advised that the PCC had given assurances that if the scheme was introduced he would ensure that the money would be spent in Cheltenham.  There had been meetings with the police and the trade, who were supportive of one single programme, with an advisory group identifying how the money should be allocated.

In his summing up he reminded Members that licensees have a business choice as to whether they wish to serve alcohol after midnight and also to adopt best practice schemes and asked Members to support the recommendations as outlined  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9