For many years we have been pushing the county council to take action over the night time economy of Durham City centre. The level of anti-social behaviour linked to late night drinking at bars and pubs is a major issue for residents in the city centre.  We would have liked to see a late night levy on premises to cover the extra costs to the council and police in managing the situation.

Eventually we were successful in getting Durham County Council, as Licensing Authority, to undertake a review of its Statement of Licensing Policy under the Licensing Act 2003 in 2019.  As part of that review we called for the City to have a Cumulative Impact Policy (CIP), for Durham City Centre.

To determine if a CIP is needed, an assessment known as a Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) must be undertaken.  The task is to find out if evidence exists to show that the concentration of licensed premises in the city is having a significantly adverse effect, e.g. on crime, disorder, nuisance, public safety and the protection of children.

Following research and data gathering Durham County Council has concluded that it has not found evidence that would be needed to support the introduction of a special policy for Durham City.

We find this absolutely amazing. The City centre does have issues with anti-social behaviour linked to drinking and this will only get worse with new venues set to open in the future. We will certainly be keeping the situation under review. It is likely that further assessments of the need for a ‘special policy’ will take place in the future, possibly on a three-yearly basis.

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