Last orders for Bournemouth's night-time economy? (From Bournemouth Echo)

Last orders for Bournemouth's night-time economy?

8:00am Thursday 29th July 2010 in

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WHAT image do you associate with Bournemouth? Golden beaches, manicured gardens, or drunken revellers spilling out of pubs and clubs?

There’s no escaping it, the past couple of decades have seen Bournemouth’s reputation expand far beyond the family-friendly resort portrayed on picture postcards.

For a huge number of young people, Bournemouth has an established reputation as a party town, a must-visit destination for hen and stag parties, where the beach is simply a pleasant place to sleep off a hangover.

But could that be about to change? Tobias Ellwood, MP for Bournemouth East, has words of hope for residents who have long since given up on visiting the town at night.

He believes that a planned overhaul of Britain’s licensing laws will bring big improvements in Bournemouth’s night scene. “In the last 15 to 20 years there has been a change in the atmosphere of our town centres because of national legislation,” he said. “This is a recognition that there is a problem, a challenge in town centres across the country, where as soon as it gets dark it develops a completely different character.

“There’s huge scope there for places such as Bournemouth that have a vibrant town but need to strike a better balance so they provide an environment where youngsters can have a good time but also one where people of all ages feel safe and welcome.”

Proposed measures unveiled by the coalition government, which are currently subject to consultation, include:

• Making it easier for communities to have their say on local licensing
• Doubling the fine to £20,000 for shops or bars that persistently sell alcohol to children and bringing in automatic licence reviews for these problem premises
• Charging a fee for late-night licences to pay for the cost of extra policing
• Increasing licence fees to cover the cost of enforcement and street cleaning
• Banning supermarkets and off-licences from selling alcohol at below cost price Mr Ellwood said communities deserved a greater say in shaping their town centres.

“If you want to have a certain area of town where pubs and clubs stay open late, that’s for the town to decide,” he said.

“If you want to keep the number of outlets at a certain level then that’s also a possibility. If you want to encourage restaurants rather than pubs and clubs, that will be a freedom that the council and local community will have.

“The idea of 24-hour licensing has gone. It shouldn’t be Westminster telling communities across the country how long a pub or club should stay open. I’m really pleased that so early in the Parliamentary timetable we are bringing this into effect. It’s excellent news for Bournemouth and I think we will see quite immediate changes.”

Others are less convinced. Michael Cook, joint owner of the Camel Bar in Old Christchurch Road, believes many people are unaware at just how many visitors and how much money Bournemouth’s night-time economy brings in.

He was no fan of 24-hour licensing but fears further changes will make it even harder for responsible pub and club owners to survive.

“They’ve opened Pandora’s Box and now they want to put the lid back on,” he said. “But we’re in the middle of a recession and anything they do will be felt across the industry.

“Maybe in the old days people came here because they lived here but now I reckon around 80 per cent of people that come here come from outside Bournemouth.”

But he welcomed the proposed ban on cheap alcohol at supermarkets and off-licences. “We as licensed premises are criticised for what the supermarkets are doing,” he said.

“We’re responsible for the customers, we look after them, we make sure they don’t drink too much but we can’t check what they’ve gulped down outside.

“We’re very proud of what we do here, we’ve spent years creating a fantastic environment, keeping it controlled, but I worry if they change the present rules that it will force us into the melee of other premises.”