Licensing changes are long overdue
As I start my third term as MP for Selby, it is not lost on me that when I first started campaigning as a young candidate at the University some two decades ago many of those studying at the time will by now be parents themselves, perhaps even with children at University. Much has changed but one aspect of the University experience which has remained very much the same is the presence of the restrictive licensing laws first introduced by Lloyd-George during the First World War.
There has been a great many newspaper column inches devoted recently to the impact of the Licensing Act 2003, which will on 24 November this year sweep away the near century old restrictions on the sale of alcohol, to be replaced instead with a more flexible approach to liquor licensing in England and Wales.
The tone of this coverage has not been altogether positive to say the least. Still when Ken Clarke during his spell as Home Secretary first allowed pubs to open in the afternoon in the 1980s, similar dire predictions about the end of civilisation proved unfounded.
In York many city centre bars have secured late opening until 1am or 2am. However neither the Charles XII or the Deramore Arms in Heslington village will be able to stay open beyond 11pm, largely because the City of York Council were concerned about a history of complaints about noise and nuisance.
A compromise of sorts was reached last week over the application from the University to have the option of opening all its bars until 2am six days a week and midnight on Sundays. Although this was permitted by the City of York Council, safeguards such as the early clearing of outside drinking areas and a strict limit on the number of annual events were put in place in response to complaints from local residents. Like thousands of licensees across the country, it will be up to the University to ensure that the conditions of the licence are strictly adhered to in order to avoid tough new penalties which are being introduced by the Licensing Act.
Over the summer the Deputy Prime Minister announced that planning approval for the plans for Heslington East campus are to be decided by his Department due to the importance of the proposals. One thing which I have raised previously is the importance of having a central social facility on the new campus. The creation of a quality student venue will mean less risk of students annoying residents late at night.
In the meantime I applaud the SSHH campaign. You only have to think how you would feel if it was your grandmother trying to get to sleep late at night in order to see the sense of it.
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