COMMENT: Carrots, not sticks please…

On my travels over recent weeks one topic of conversation has cropped up a great deal: Oldham.  Both our industry and the statutory bodies are watching closely to see how this situation will play out. 

Clearly what has been suggested by Oldham Council (by taking 22 premises to review) goes way above and beyond anything which has been attempted before.  We argue that it hard to see how such an action is proportionate or reasonable – or indeed targeted. 

What is also a little embarrassing for the Council is a section from their own licensing policy drafted last year (p16, item 12.22) “The authority will not use the Licensing Policy to control prices or hinder free and fair competition in licensed premises.”  We brought this up when speaking to the council a few days when we met, arguing that by penalising any premise which falls below a certain price point per unit (75p) there is either an actual (or defacto) attempt to control prices.

At the meeting in Oldham we put the case that it would be better for all concerned to establish a Best Bar None, leading possibly to a Business Improvement District for the town – i.e. create an environment which will enhance the locality not demonise it.

As well as the Oldham situation, like others in the trade, at Noctis we’ve also been mulling over the mandatory conditions consultation - just launched by the Home Office.  On first glance it looks as if – even in this new, improved version, there is a major question at the heart of this whole process.  Why do this at all? No one seriously thinks that forcing a series of conditions on all licensed premises is the magic solution to tackling the issues around the misuse of alcohol.  I suspect that even the officials know that this is merely a box-ticking exercise to comply with what the last Queen’s speech at the end of 2008. 

Interestingly the root of the problem for both issues lies in how the national media can manipulate a political agenda to such an extent that good businesses suffer so that national news media journalists keep their jobs. 

We only have to see how the media storm over MPs expenses is causing a radical shake-up of the system to see how profound the media’s power has become.  It would be very good if they could report the truth about industry too – but that wouldn’t be news – since good news doesn’t sell papers!