Councils reject Government's alcohol disorder zones scheme

Labour's promise to make rowdy pubs and clubs pay for the mayhem they cause became an instant flop today after being rejected by councils.

Ministers had claimed that forcing licensed premises to pay up to £100 a week for extra policing was vital to curb the negative effects of 24-hour drinking.

But, after more than three years in preparation, the so-called Alcohol Disorder Zone policy met with an overwhelmingly hostile response at its official launch.

Only one in three councils is planning to establish a zone, leaving the idea that the 'polluter pays' for the misery which has been caused by later opening hours in a mess.

One of the major reasons is that local authorities fear they are so bureaucratic it will cost the taxpayer more to administer than will be recouped.

Police were also deeply sceptical about the new power, first promised in January 2005 as round-the-clock opening was railroaded into law.

Stephen Otter, Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: 'We have some concerns about ADZs in relation to bureaucracy. We have got to be careful not to create a bureaucratic nightmare that will be unworkable.'

The Local Government Association polled 182 councils for their views on the scheme, which is fiercely opposed by pubs, supermarkets and clubs.

It found that only 34 per cent currently planned to use the new measures. Four out of 10 councils said they did not expect to recoup the cost of running ADZs through the charging system, meaning the burden would fall on local taxpayers.

LGA chairman Sir Simon Milton said: 'While Alcohol Disorder Zones may seem like an attractive option, in practice they may prove to be a costly, complicated and unwieldy tool for many councils.

'The major concern for many councils is the cost involved in preparing and implementing these zones and the additional burdens involved in attempting to recover the costs.'

Shadow home affairs minister James Brokenshire said Alcohol Disorder Zones are a 'back-of-the-envelope' solution to drink-related problems

Critics have long warned the zones would be a bureaucratic nightmare, and they were beset by a string of problems as they passed through Parliament. The order introducing the power had to be redrafted at least twice.

Zones must be declared only in extreme circumstances when all other options have failed. Police must first give drinkers on-the-spot fines or ban louts from town centres. They must also make attempts to close down any problem pubs using the Licensing Act.

Shadow home affairs minister James Brokenshire said: 'Alcohol Disorder Zones are unwieldy, unworkable and unwanted.

'They are a back-of- the-envelope solution to the complex problem of booze fuelled crime which this Government has presided over. It’s taken over three years to put them into law and frankly the Government needn’t have bothered.

'They’ve been overtaken by events, they leave huge scope for uncertainty and are a gift to the lawyers. Significant questions remain as to whether the supermarkets are even covered by the regulations.

'ADZs are a policy disaster zone which will do nothing to bring relief to communities suffering from alcohol fuelled violence. Even by this Government’s standards, they set a new low-point in poor law.”

A Home Office spokesman estimated that 30 areas of England and Wales would begin the process of setting up an ADZ over the next 12 months.

About six would be designated a full ADZ in that time, he suggested, although he was unable to predict locations.

Home Office minister Vernon Coaker said: 'We have listened carefully to the views of all our partners to ensure that ADZs complement existing powers and are used only as a measure of last resort.

'In rare cases where voluntary agreements and other tactical options have not worked, local authorities must ensure that ADZs are fair, equitable and effective. We will be keeping a careful watch to see that they are.'

He added: 'If businesses cause alcohol-related crime and disorder it is right that they should contribute to the extra costs of policing it.

'ADZs are another tool for local authorities and the police to tackle problem premises and clamp down on alcohol-fuelled disorder.'