Borough-wide controlled drinking zone on the cards

16/11/05

Anti-social drinkers on the streets of the London Borough of Camden could have their alcohol confiscated under new plans under consideration by Camden Council.

Councillors agreed to look at the possibility of a Controlled Drinking Zone (CDZ) covering the whole borough last night (Tuesday 15 November). The decision followed an interim report on a pilot scheme that showed benefits for both street drinkers and the community.

The interim report looked at the first 11 months of a year-long pilot CDZ that started in and around Camden Town last November in response to residents’ concerns. The scheme aimed to reduce anti-social behaviour caused by street drinkers by confiscating their alcohol and encouraging them to take up help.

Under the pilot scheme police officers were given a discretionary power to remove alcohol from street drinkers drinking on the streets in the zone. Camden Council gave an additional £35,000 from the government’s Liveability fund for extra support and advice in a Wet Service, to help long-term street drinkers break the cycle of alcohol dependency.

Findings showed a large reduction in street drinking on the streets and estates as well as a high increase in hardcore street drinkers accessing help and housing.

Cllr Jake Sumner, Executive Member for Community Safety, Camden Council said:

“The community tell us that people who drink on the streets can end up harassing and intimidating the vast majority of law-abiding residents, workers and visitors to Camden. The interim results of the pilot Controlled Drinking Zone show that some of the street drinkers with real entrenched problems in Camden Town are not beyond help and can change their behaviour for the benefit of all.

“After looking at all the options, we’re interested in looking more closely at a borough-wide CDZ that would tackle street drinking across the borough. We need to look carefully at how it would work and what sort of drinking it would target. I would be interested in seeing it used wider than the long-term street drinkers to include anyone who causes problems for others by drinking on the streets. A CDZ is never intended to eradicate all street drinking but it could be another useful resource for the police to use to meet the demands of the community.”

A decision on whether to roll out a borough-wide scheme will be made in January 2006 when the final evaluation of the pilot is published and a more detailed report on how it would work has been drawn up.

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