Tougher licensing measures to crackdown on alcohol-related crime in Huddersfield and Dewsbury town centres are set to be rolled out.
A ‘Cumulative Impact Assessment’ (CIA) is being introduced in both town centres. This will limit the number of new off-licences and other venues where alcohol is purchased and then consumed elsewhere which can operate in the same area.
The CIA would be used to weigh up the potential impact of having a significant number of licensed premises concentrated in the same area – in this case, the two town centres – on the licensing objectives. These include: the prevention of crime and disorder; public safety; and the protection of children from harm.
A formal recommendation to adopt the CIA is going to Full Council on Wednesday, January 15. If agreed by members, it will come into force immediately and remain in place until a review is carried out in three years time, or sooner if necessary.
While the assessment does not change the fundamental way licensing applications are determined, applicants wishing to obtain a licence will need to demonstrate the steps they will take so that the Council and responsible authorities like the police, fire service and public health, can be assured that the granting of a new or varied licence will not add to the existing impact.
Plans to implement the new policy have been out to consultation, with 135 responses received. Sixty-four percent agreed that there are too many licenced premises selling alcohol with off-sales in Huddersfield Town Centre, and the majority also agreed that a CIA should be brought in at this location.
As for Dewsbury, 42 per cent of respondents felt there were too many of this kind of licenced premises, with 46 per cent saying they didn’t know. Forty-five percent supported the enforcement of a CIA in the town centre, with 44 per cent unsure.
One person commented: “The sale of alcohol in Dewsbury Town Centre is causing the problem with street drinking during the day. I think that if alcohol was not so readily available, there would not be as many drinkers and people would feel safe to shop in the town.”
Another said: “Huddersfield town centre after 6pm is rowdy and behaviour frequently uncouth and slightly (and sometimes) threatening. I strongly suspect the behaviour to be alcohol-fuelled. So I stay away after 5pm.”
The council report states that data from West Yorkshire Police has suggested that alcohol-related offences are “an issue” for the centres of both Huddersfield and Dewsbury, with “sufficient evidence” for the council to consider introducing a CIA.
It goes on to highlight that crimes linked to alcohol also caused problems during the pandemic. In the case of Huddersfield, particularly considering the majority of the town centre extending towards Leeds Road, the levels of offending are “significantly above” the Kirklees average based on five-years worth of data.
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