by Paul Wiltshire

A strategy to keep a lid on the development of new pubs and clubs in Bath city centre is being hailed as a success.

Politicians will meet on April 20 to review a policy which came into force last year which puts the onus on pub firms to prove that new bars - or plans to extend opening hours of existing businesses - will not aggravate crime and disorder problems.

The zone covered by Bath and North East Somerset Council's cumulative impact policy contains the city centre - stretching as far as Cleveland Bridge to the north east and the Royal Crescent to the west.

City centre politicians and the city's police licensing bureau have urged the council to keep going with the policy.

The authority's licensing committee is also being asked to decide whether the boundaries of the policy zone should be extended.

The policy was launched after major concern from city centre residents over the growth of new pubs and clubs, particularly in the area around George Street.

Last year, there were five applications for new premises licences and 10 applications to vary the hours of existing licences in the policy area zone.

All of these were approved but police liquor licensing officer Martin Purchase says in a submission to the council that the policy has forced a change in the mindset of firms and licensees applying for extra hours, or to open new venues.

"The cumulative impact policy has had a very marked effect on licensing applications that have been submitted since its introduction.

"Applicants for grants and variations are well aware that there is a reasonable presumption that applications will be refused unless they can show that there will be no negative cumulative effect on one or more of the licensing objectives."

This means that applicants have to show they will have proper CCTV cameras in place, employ trained door staff, keep areas outside their premises clean, join local schemes such as the Pubwatch group, and ban beers in glass bottles.

City centre councillor Terry Gazzard (Con, Abbey) tells the council: "There is no doubt that the CIP has helped local councillors to control the growth of drinking establishments in the zone.

"I do not want the CIP threatened in any way.

"The city centre still has an anti-social behaviour problem, in particular in good weather. I would be betraying the majority wish of the city centre residents if I were to allow any erosion of the CIP."

His colleague Cllr Brian Webber (Con, Abbey) said he now received fewer complaints about anti-social behaviour in the city centre, and that the policy had proved the council's determination to tackle binge drinking.

He says: "The abolition of the CIP would send the wrong signal to the licensing trade and would be very discouraging to residents."

The Federation of Bath Residents' Associations has recently identified the impact of drinking on the city centre as one of the biggest problems facing the local community.

But the council and police argue that new links between them and city centre manager Andrew Cooper, as well as the co-operation of pubs and clubs, are tackling the issue.

Police have also cracked down on problem street drinkers in the city centre - issuing some of them with anti-social behaviour orders banning them from the area.