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Alcohol-free streets come a step closer
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| Wilfred Emannuel-Jones and Councillors Sherry Meadows, Pete Hulton, Nina and Andy Phillips |
An alcohol ban on Chippenham streets is well on the way', despite being rejected by the town council.
North Wiltshire District Council is pressing on with the proposal and will be issuing a report for public consultation soon. It hopes to have a ban in place by the summer holidays.
The news has shocked Chippenham Town Council. Leader Andrew Noblet said: "This is the first I have heard that the district council are going ahead.
"Obviously it would be inappropriate to comment until the matter is clarified and the district council formally consults the town council."
The town council rejected the plan in February, saying a ban for the whole town was too widespread.
But the district council has the ultimate power to introduce a Designated Public Place Order (DPPO), and it is backed by Wiltshire Police.
Mark Rippon, community safety officer for North Wiltshire District Council, said: "Chippenham Town Council were just consultees in this process and do not have the final say.
"So far we have had sufficient evidence from the police to say we need a DPPO. We have drawn up a map of where we need it, we have had the number of signs we will need agreed by the Crown Prosecution Service and so we are well on the way.
"We are preparing the report that will be sent out to pubs, clubs and supermarkets to see what they think of the scheme.
"Then the public will be consulted and finally the district council will decide whether or not to adopt the policy.
"A town council has not rejected a DPPO before - Calne, Devizes, Malmesbury and Trowbridge all fully supported their DPPOs."
The news has delighted Wiltshire Police.
Sergeant Martin Alvis of Chippenham Police, who spearheaded the enforcement of a DPPO, said: "We have always been in consultation with the district council and I have met up with them practically every week.
"It is a shame that the town council did not support the DPPO but they do not make the final decision."
Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for the Chippenham, Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones said: "I support the district council and the police because at the moment there is no comeback on the individual who goes binge drinking and behaves badly."
9:25am Friday 2nd May 2008
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CommentPosted by: TonyJanson, Chippenham on 1:34pm Fri 2 May 08
Pass me another can please !
Pass me another can please !
Posted by: chipper, chippenham on 3:27pm Fri 2 May 08
[quote]Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for the Chippenham, Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones said: "I support the district council and the police because at the moment there is no comeback on the individual who goes binge drinking and behaves badly."[/quote]
Can't they be arrested for being "drunk and disorderly" these days?
Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for the Chippenham, Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones said: "I support the district council and the police because at the moment there is no comeback on the individual who goes binge drinking and behaves badly."
Can't they be arrested for being "drunk and disorderly" these days?
Posted by: mjhudston, Chippenham, Wiltshire on 5:00pm Fri 2 May 08
Why is chippenham 30 years behind the times? I grew up near Folkestone in Kent, and they have had a ban on Alcohol being drunk on the streets of the town center since the late 70's
Why is chippenham 30 years behind the times? I grew up near Folkestone in Kent, and they have had a ban on Alcohol being drunk on the streets of the town center since the late 70's
Posted by: pachyderm, having a fag, outside the pub, holding a pint (and a lap-top,mobile phone,photograph of a £5 note etc.. on 8:44pm Fri 2 May 08
[quote]Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for the Chippenham, Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones said: "I support the district council and the police because at the moment there is no comeback on the individual who goes binge drinking and behaves badly."[/quote] Most "binge drinking" is done INSIDE a pub, club or home. Making drinking in the street illegal would be unenforcible for pub smokers who step out for a fag, street parties, picnics in the park etc.
Big Brother gone OTT.Quit right, [bold]bold[/bold] chipper , current drunk & disorderly & conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace legislation should be enough, IF properly enforced ![bold]bold[/bold]
Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for the Chippenham, Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones said: "I support the district council and the police because at the moment there is no comeback on the individual who goes binge drinking and behaves badly."
Most "binge drinking" is done INSIDE a pub, club or home. Making drinking in the street illegal would be unenforcible for pub smokers who step out for a fag, street parties, picnics in the park etc.
Big Brother gone OTT.Quit right, chipper , current drunk & disorderly & conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace legislation should be enough, IF properly enforced !
Posted by: Paul Tucker, Chippenham on 9:32am Tue 6 May 08
[quote][bold]mjhudston[/bold] wrote:
Why is chippenham 30 years behind the times? I grew up near Folkestone in Kent, and they have had a ban on Alcohol being drunk on the streets of the town center since the late 70's [/quote] Obviously, because there wasn't this problem in Chippenham in the late 70's.
mjhudston wrote:
Why is chippenham 30 years behind the times? I grew up near Folkestone in Kent, and they have had a ban on Alcohol being drunk on the streets of the town center since the late 70's
Obviously, because there wasn't this problem in Chippenham in the late 70's.
Posted by: ahudspith, Chippenham on 6:33pm Tue 6 May 08
[quote]Sergeant Martin Alvis of Chippenham Police, who spearheaded the enforcement of a DPPO, said: "We have always been in consultation with the district council and I have met up with them practically every week.[/quote]
That'll be because you can’t be bothered to do your job properly then.
I assume that this only covers the town centre?
The affected pubs/clubs would be:
Four Seasons: Have garden benches for smokers/drinkers on front of pub. Generally middle aged crowd in there and low risk of trouble.
Rose & Crown: Currently closed. Used to have enclosed benches in front and side of the pub. From my younger days I recall that trouble was not infrequent.
The Old Irish Bar (god knows what it’s called now): Drinking smoking allowed on the riverbank. Low risk of trouble – just an awful pub.
Gladstone Arms / Cons Club / Liberal Club: Smoking/Drinking at front of pub only. Trouble there would be a newsworthy event!
Black Horse: Smoking/Drinking in the back car park. Couple of benches. Low/Medium risk of trouble (the bouncers there are quite sharp).
The Angle/Bear Hotels: Smoking/Drinking in rear garden. None/Low risk of trouble.
The Little George: Just about sneaks in the town centre category. Smoking drinking in the beer garden only.
Trader Jacks: Never been in. It used to have a back “garden” (and never has the word been so badly used) when it was Legends.
Buds: Not sure if this club is still open – I’m way too old. However when I last went there (circa 5 years ago) it had an outside beer garden (with bar) for smokers/drinkers.
Brunel: Drinks not allowed outside the pub anyway. Chippenham’s worst pub [by a country mile]. Frequented by the dim and very dim alike. Medium/High chance of trouble – especially if wandering off to the kebab shop over the road or Buds afterwards.
So … what have we learnt? Banning public drinking would only affect the Four Seasons as they have tables in a public place. The risk of “trouble” there is relatively low – you would just disturb the crusty’s that drink in there a little more than they are already.
The report is clearly aimed at Chippenham’s youth/binge drinking and possible violence on an evening. Chippenham’s biggest flashpoint has always been (and will remain so despite the security guard [As is we think she will do anything useful!!!] ) the taxi rank close to the bridge. The overexcited youths queuing/barging and ultimately fighting each other might have kebabs or pizza’s in their hands – but in 15 years of living in Chippenham Iv yet to see one with a bottle/glass taken from a pub.
This is not thought out – and the Police are again attempting to shift the responsibility away from their incompetence to keep the streets safe (though I admit there are more “meat wagons” on patrol on an evening than there have been in the past) to the publican / Chippenham resident (through increased taxation via Council Tax to deal with their new responsibilities).
They must think we were born yesterday … but then again I think most people were … and have gone backwards.
Sergeant Martin Alvis of Chippenham Police, who spearheaded the enforcement of a DPPO, said: "We have always been in consultation with the district council and I have met up with them practically every week.
That'll be because you can’t be bothered to do your job properly then.
I assume that this only covers the town centre?
The affected pubs/clubs would be:
Four Seasons: Have garden benches for smokers/drinkers on front of pub. Generally middle aged crowd in there and low risk of trouble.
Rose & Crown: Currently closed. Used to have enclosed benches in front and side of the pub. From my younger days I recall that trouble was not infrequent.
The Old Irish Bar (god knows what it’s called now): Drinking smoking allowed on the riverbank. Low risk of trouble – just an awful pub.
Gladstone Arms / Cons Club / Liberal Club: Smoking/Drinking at front of pub only. Trouble there would be a newsworthy event!
Black Horse: Smoking/Drinking in the back car park. Couple of benches. Low/Medium risk of trouble (the bouncers there are quite sharp).
The Angle/Bear Hotels: Smoking/Drinking in rear garden. None/Low risk of trouble.
The Little George: Just about sneaks in the town centre category. Smoking drinking in the beer garden only.
Trader Jacks: Never been in. It used to have a back “garden” (and never has the word been so badly used) when it was Legends.
Buds: Not sure if this club is still open – I’m way too old. However when I last went there (circa 5 years ago) it had an outside beer garden (with bar) for smokers/drinkers.
Brunel: Drinks not allowed outside the pub anyway. Chippenham’s worst pub . Frequented by the dim and very dim alike. Medium/High chance of trouble – especially if wandering off to the kebab shop over the road or Buds afterwards.
So … what have we learnt? Banning public drinking would only affect the Four Seasons as they have tables in a public place. The risk of “trouble” there is relatively low – you would just disturb the crusty’s that drink in there a little more than they are already.
The report is clearly aimed at Chippenham’s youth/binge drinking and possible violence on an evening. Chippenham’s biggest flashpoint has always been (and will remain so despite the security guard ) the taxi rank close to the bridge. The overexcited youths queuing/barging and ultimately fighting each other might have kebabs or pizza’s in their hands – but in 15 years of living in Chippenham Iv yet to see one with a bottle/glass taken from a pub.
This is not thought out – and the Police are again attempting to shift the responsibility away from their incompetence to keep the streets safe (though I admit there are more “meat wagons” on patrol on an evening than there have been in the past) to the publican / Chippenham resident (through increased taxation via Council Tax to deal with their new responsibilities).
They must think we were born yesterday … but then again I think most people were … and have gone backwards.
Posted by: Localman, chippenham on 8:51pm Tue 6 May 08
ahudspith- if you research the web, look at the recent order passed in Trowbridge you will clearly see that the DPPO does not effect people who are drinking responsible manner in public places, this would include people such as the punters in the four seasons. I'm sure the law abiding citizens need fear nothing, its the selfish drinkers that are intent on inflicting their poor behaviour on others that need to be concerned with this law. Judging by your anti Police comments there is more to this than meets the eye! Long may Chippenham become an even more safer Place to live, anyone not wanting that needs to think hard about where they want to live!
ahudspith- if you research the web, look at the recent order passed in Trowbridge you will clearly see that the DPPO does not effect people who are drinking responsible manner in public places, this would include people such as the punters in the four seasons. I'm sure the law abiding citizens need fear nothing, its the selfish drinkers that are intent on inflicting their poor behaviour on others that need to be concerned with this law. Judging by your anti Police comments there is more to this than meets the eye! Long may Chippenham become an even more safer Place to live, anyone not wanting that needs to think hard about where they want to live!
Posted by: Yali, UK on 9:58pm Tue 6 May 08
Yeh, ban smoking in public too.
Yeh, ban smoking in public too.
Posted by: ahudspith, Chippenham on 2:00pm Wed 7 May 08
Localman:
I am a supporter of the police (and used to work for British Transport Police 1994-1997).
However I will not tolerate Wiltshire Constabulary attempting to shift the responsibility of what is usually called “social issues” (binge drinking in this case) onto the local community.
The Police have a job to do – drunk and disorderly conduct is already an offence. A violent act against a person is already an offence. Pubs serving alcohol to underage or incapacitated youngsters can already have their licences removed.
What more do you want?
I do not want my free time intruded upon or my actions limited in any way due to a few incidents of excessive drinking.
If the police were prepared to engage with the publicans and customers in a proactive way these incidents would be less frequent. Failing that I’m also an advocate of a little police brutality – it worked in the 1970’s and 80’s when I was growing up.
Localman:
I am a supporter of the police (and used to work for British Transport Police 1994-1997).
However I will not tolerate Wiltshire Constabulary attempting to shift the responsibility of what is usually called “social issues” (binge drinking in this case) onto the local community.
The Police have a job to do – drunk and disorderly conduct is already an offence. A violent act against a person is already an offence. Pubs serving alcohol to underage or incapacitated youngsters can already have their licences removed.
What more do you want?
I do not want my free time intruded upon or my actions limited in any way due to a few incidents of excessive drinking.
If the police were prepared to engage with the publicans and customers in a proactive way these incidents would be less frequent. Failing that I’m also an advocate of a little police brutality – it worked in the 1970’s and 80’s when I was growing up.
Posted by: The Maxter, Chippenham on 2:39pm Wed 7 May 08
Yet more legislation supporting the creeping erosion of our fundamental rights, all in the name of making us safe. Most of the problems are already covered by existing laws. Take a stand. stop this law from being passed.
Yet more legislation supporting the creeping erosion of our fundamental rights, all in the name of making us safe. Most of the problems are already covered by existing laws. Take a stand. stop this law from being passed.
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