A note to councillors

As an elected councillor, you carry a civic duty to promote the general well-being of the community which you serve.

From February 2005 this will include the important role of setting licensing policy and making licensing decisions in the context of the Licensing Act 2003, which brings alcohol, entertainment and late-night refreshment house licensing all under local authority control.

These decisions are taken with reference to the four licensing objectives of:

• prevention of crime and disorder
• public safety
• prevention of public nuisance
• protection of children from harm.

However, the government’s National Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy published in early 2004 also emphasised the role central and local government – and many other stakeholders – have to play in minimising the harm from alcohol, which includes health.

Consequently, Alcohol Concern have produced a toolkit (commissioned by the Alcohol Education and Research Council) to help your officers measure the health and social impacts of changes in licensing laws.

In order to reach this assessment, baseline figures need to be compiled which can then be measured over a period of time.  These figures can be obtained from a wide range of sources, some of which are already held by your Council, and others that may be held by stakeholders and partners.

These include statistics such as casualty rates from the accident and emergency department of the local hospital; enforcement activities undertaken in relation to licensed premises; local crime statistics or information from CCTV control rooms.

By using a wide range of consultation procedures outlined in the toolkit – such as public meetings, surveys, questionnaires, focus groups and citizens’ juries – meaningful information can be obtained.

Councillors as well as officers have an important role to play in gathering, analysing and assessing the usefulness of these policies, and ensuring that sufficient resources are devoted to making a positive difference to your community.  The toolkit includes a checklist, which you are advised to consider adopting.