Pubs struggle

Planning bosses were inundated with applications for longer opening hours before the change to the law to allow more flexible drinking times came in on November 24, and 364 pubs and clubs in York are now operating under late licences.

But some pubs are struggling to pay for the changes.

Trevor King, chairman of the Licensed Victuallers Association in the city and landlord of the Fulford Arms, in Fulford Road, said today: "Some nights staff are twiddling their thumbs for the last hour, waiting for customers to go home.

"By the end of the night most people have had their fill of beer. Most people are still going home at 11.30pm and we're waiting for two or three people to drink up.

"It's certainly costing pubs to stay open that extra hour - there are only a handful of people in the pub and even those have had their fill of beer so they are sitting round the table and not buying drinks. Economically, in a lot of cases it simply won't be viable." He said bar staff were having to work longer hours since closing time had shifted.

John Lacy, York's licensing manager, said only two of 366 applications for late licences had been rejected by planning bosses.

The bar at the York Railway Institute Outdoor Sports Club, in Hamilton Drive, York, was one of two pubs to have its application for late opening rejected.

It applied to open until 2am on Friday and Saturday, but neighbours said the move would breach an earlier planning agreement, which paved the way for a £1 million upgrade of the facilities, but agreed to close the bar by 11.45pm.

Manager Sean Heslop said business had not been affected since its application was turned down.

He said: "So far we have not been affected because the intention was only ever to open up on a number of specific occasions throughout the year.

"But we are monitoring the situation. We will see how it goes for 12 months and look at it again with a view to reapplying."

The Charles XII pub, in Heslington, was also refused a late licence after complaints from residents.

The relaxation of traditional licensing laws was widely expected to bring mayhem to the streets, but senior police officers and council officials say it has had the opposite effect.

Earlier this week the Evening Press revealed that violent crime in York had dropped by 20 per cent since the new law came into effect.

There were 359 incidents of violent crime in York between November 24 and December 31, compared with 451 incidents in the city during the same five-week period last year.

Mr Lacy said: "There were very strict licensing conditions attached to licences in relation to public order and other issues. Many premises were asked to install CCTV, employ door staff and myriad other stringent conditions.

"Under the new Act it has become a criminal offence to break those conditions - with a maximum fine of £20,000 or six months in prison - so licensees really have to adhere to those conditions.

"I think that's one of the reasons why we are one of the first places in the country to get violent crime down."

:: Licensing figures

844 licensed premises in the city applied for a new licence

629 applied for conversions and variations to their normal licence

Of those, 366 applied for an extension so they could open later

Only two were turned down by licensing committees, as a result of objections from local residents

There were complaints from local residents about 175 of the applications for extended opening hours

111 complaints were heard before licensing committees

Updated: 09:50 Saturday, January 14, 2006