Revellers up and down the country might have enjoyed an extra few hours at the pub last night (and will be feeling it today) as the UK marked the 80th anniversary of VE Day, but on every other day of the year, the closing times for boozers can be a contentious issue.
Pubs and clubs in Camden, however, could soon be allowed to open a little later for some extra time to serve up food, drinks, and an atmosphere for revellers. The council has given the green light for plans that would allow venues to stay open for half an hour longer in order to keep the nightlife going in the area.
It comes as part of their five-year draft strategy that looks to extend ‘framework hours’ for watering holes and clubs, which would mean permission to serve food and drinks a little longer each evening. Those venues hoping to do so would be required to carry out a risk assessment and introduce new policies to keep public disturbance to a minimum, like bringing in further security measures.
Camden Council has said the policy would be updated and balanced to ensure businesses can grow “while encouraging greater community participation and increased confidence in licensing decisions”. More polices added in the consultation phase of the plan have included expectations for premises to increase the promotion of women’s safety initiatives, give alcohol awareness training for members of staff, and bring in measures to avoid drink spiking.
It is also notable that the proposals would mean the scrapping of cumulative impact zones (CIZ), which is in place to make it harder for venues to gain licenses in areas where there is already a large population of venues. These plans are still due to go before the cabinet for a vote on whether to implement these policies. There is no exact timeline on when such measures would be implemented.