New Year's Eve opening problems continue

New Year's Eve revellers in mid-Sussex may find themselves being turfed out of licensed premises at 10.30pm, while those in Devon will be able to party on until 4am.

This patchwork of opening times on New Year's Eve, which falls on a Sunday, follows the Government's failure to introduce in time a deregulation order to allow blanket 36-hour opening without the need to apply for an extension, as it did for the millennium celebrations (see article).

Although the Magistrates' Association has tried to encourage some consistency by urging licensing justices to allow premises to open until at least 12.30am, the Brewers and Licensed Retailers Association said feedback from its members pointed to a hotchpotch of decisions.

Members in Leeds and Bradford will be able to open until 12.30am, while those in Brighton and Worthing can carry on until 2am, and in Dorset until 4am.

"It is very sad we have not followed up what was an enormous success last year," said Mark Hastings, director of communications at the BLRA. "This year's missed opportunity will hopefully be taken up next year."

He warned that areas with longer opening times were likely to attract people from earlier-closing regions, with all the attendant transport, crime and disorder problems from overcrowding.

In answer to a written question in Parliament, Labour MP for Warwickshire North Mike O'Brien blamed the House of Lords deregulation committee for the delays, but promised: "We intend, however, to prepare such an order to apply to New Year's Eve next year, which will then provide a further test of the success of a standard national exemption."

He added that the White Paper on licence law reform "would include a provision for the secretary of state to set appropriate opening times nationally for licensed premises for any special, national celebrations."

Today (Wednesday) Liberal Democrats Lembit Opik and Simon Hughes put forward an Early Day Motion calling on the Government to hurry through a deregulation order like last year's millennium arrangements. At the very least, said a spokesman, the Government should issue guidelines to magistrates to award applicants the extended hours they are seeking.