Pub and bar operators and industry representatives have criticised the latest report from a group of influential MPs on tackling binge-drinking.
The findings of the Home Affairs Select Committee report, which was released on Tuesday (5 April), suggested a 10-year plan to tackle the problem. It recommended that councils "design out" the density of high-street bars and fine staff £80 for serving booze to drunks.
Labour MP John Denham, chairman of the committee, said it would take more long-term strategic planning to break the disruption caused by binge-drinking in many of the country's high streets.
"Over the next 10 to 15 years we need to re-plan city centres, break up the concentration of bars by not renewing licences when places go out of business, and bring in different use facilities. This has gone on far too long and will take a long time to reverse."
But Bob Cotton, chief executive of the British Hospitality Association, branded the antisocial behaviour report "political window dressing".
"I am always nervous about announcements a month before a General Election," he said.
However, he conceded: "We are naturally going to see local authorities either zoning bar areas so they don't conflict with residences or limiting licences in local areas."
Mark Jones, chief executive of Yates Group, believes that market forces will play a bigger role in reducing the number of operators on pub-saturated high streets.
"Yates has opened around 100 pubs at £1m each, creating 3,500 jobs over the last decade. It's unrealistic to want to now close them, but the number of licensed places will almost certainly decline through market forces."
He admitted that the industry had dealt poorly with the issues of alcohol-related disorder and underage drinking.
"It was the wrong time to liberalise licensing laws when we haven't tackled the issues surrounding problem drinking. But it's only the supermarkets who've applied for 24-hour licensing - this was not a pub-led campaign."
Jones added that fining bar staff was "inevitable" to win back faith in the industry. However, Cotton sees the move as making little difference, as licensees already stand to lose their licences, and livelihoods, if their staff break regulations and serve drunk or underage customers.
The T&G union said it was concerned about the impact of the new fines system on staff.
"Bar staff are more often than not low-paid workers who are already under enormous pressure from the pub companies and breweries to maximise sales," added a spokesman.
Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 07 April 2005