In a bid to tackle late-night crime, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council are looking to extend their current cumulative impact assessment (CIA) to limit the number of takeaways open late at night.
The town’s current CIA came into force in 2021 and limited the number of late-night premises selling alcohol. This CIA has successfully reduced the amount of anti-social behaviour in the town centre.
However, several late-night takeaways have opened since 2021 along the A34. Anti-social behaviour often takes place at these food places, and they have received numerous complaints from local residents.
Staffordshire Police licensing manager PS Jim Finn stated: “These premises by the nature of their operation, usually being busiest at the end of a trading night at weekends are focal points for persons already intoxicated to gather which can then and often does lead to incidents of violence and/or disorder.”
In addition to limiting the number of late-night takeaways, the updated CIA will be expanded in terms of the area covered. It will now affect businesses from the A34 Liverpool Road to the Milehouse Lane roundabout. It will also restrict businesses located between the A34 London Road to the Stoke-on-Trent boundary.
Once in place, the new CIA will remain in place for three years and, after being reviewed, could potentially be extended.
No date has been provided as to when the updated CIA will be put into place.
Experienced writer and journalist James McKean leads the daily editorial output at StaffsLive. To contact him, email news@staffslive.co.uk
