Overview

West Street and Devonshire Green are popular parts of the city centre and attract people looking to shop in one of the many boutique or independent retailers, or enjoy the bars and restaurants that have made it a lively part of town.

As part of its ongoing plans to improve the area, and to tackle concerns expressed by local residents and health and welfare groups that too many licenced premises are contributing to more crime and anti-social behaviour, the council is encouraging people to spend a few minutes giving their views.

Your views will help us develop an understanding:

Whether there is a link between the number and mix of licensed premises in the neighbourhood and the problems people might encounter.

If a Cumulative Impact Policy (CIP) for licensed premises should be applied to the West Street/Devonshire Green area

What other measures should be considered.

CIPs are local special policies that create an assumption that new licenses to sell alcohol, in a designated zone, will be refused unless the applicant can show that they will not add to existing problems.

CIPs are one of a range of options that can be used to maintain an attractive city centre and safer night time economy. A CIP does not stop licences from being issued but can require the licence holder to put in place specific measures, such as shorter opening hours. In other areas of the country where a CIP has been applied the number of licensed establishments has often remained the same but the type of licensed establishments has changed, for example, fewer off-licenses and takeaways and more seated food-led licensed premises.

The attached map below shows which parts of the Devonshire Green/West Street area we are referring to.