Licensing Consultation 2023 - Cumulative Impact Policy and Cumulative Impact Assessment for the Millfield and New England area

About the consultation

We are consulting on the current Cumulative Impact Policy (CIP) and Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) in place for Millfield and New England area (known as 'Op Can Do') and invite your comments.

The Licensing Act 2003 as amended requires that the CIP and CIA must be reviewed, revised and subject to consultation at least every three years. The last revision was adopted for implementation on 7 January 2021 and is therefore due for revision, consultation and determination prior to 7 January 2024.

The consultation runs from 7 September 2023 until 18 October 2023. Should you wish to respond, please ensure that you do so prior to the end of the consultation period, to ensure your comments can be properly considered, prior to determination.

Have your say

Your views and comments will assist us in determining if the current Cumulative Impact Policy (CIP) and Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) are still relevant to the present-day situation. This is your opportunity to inform us about how you are affected, positively or negatively, by licensed premises in this area.

A CIP must be evidence-based as this evidence is used to formulate the CIA. Therefore, if the evidence no longer supports the policy, the CIP and CIA must be removed or amended in line with current available evidence.

Comments must relate to the effect that licensed premises are having, positive and / or negative, and must relate to at least one of the four licensing objectives, which are:

• The prevention of crime and disorder
• Public safety
• The prevention of public nuisance
• The protection of children from harm

How to respond to the consultation

Any person who wishes to respond to the consultation may do so in the following manner:

In writing to:

Licensing Team Consultation Officer
Peterborough City Council
Sand Martin House
Bittern Way
Fletton Quays
Peterborough
PE2 8TY

Or by email to: lpc@peterborough.gov.uk.

Please note: We are unable to accept verbal responses, however, should any person require any further information or clarification on the Cumulative Impact Policy, Assessment, or the consultation process, please call 01733 747474.

Accompanying information

Please be aware that comments which just state ‘we do not need any more licensed premises in this area’ are not considered valid under the Licensing Act 2003. ‘Need’ concerns commercial demand and is a matter for the planning authority and market to determine.

However, where there is evidence to show that, the number, type and density of licensed premises, in a given area is having a cumulative impact and leading to problems which are undermining the licensing objectives, a Cumulative Impact Policy with a Cumulative Impact Assessment can help to limit the type of licence granted. Applications which receive valid objection(s) are unlikely to be granted, unless the applicant can demonstrate that the granting of the application will not further add to the issues identified and evidenced in the Cumulative Impact Assessment.

You can find the current CIP, including a plan with named streets affected, within Section 12 of the overarching Statement of Licensing Policy. The CIA details the evidence obtained in the 2020 consultation and states that the licensing authority consider that the number of premises licenses and/or club premises certificates offering ‘Off sales’ of alcohol within the defined boundary is such, that it is likely, that the granting of further licenses of this type would be inconsistent with the authority’s duty to promote the licensing objectives.

Visit our Licensing Act page to find the latest Cumulative Impact Policy and Cumulative Impact Assessment documents.

You may be of the opinion that the policy should remain in place as you continue to experience problems relevant to the accumulation of licensed premises offering ‘Off sales’ of alcohol in this area. If so, it would be helpful if you could include details of what you experienced, including if and who you reported the problem to, including any reference number you were given. 

Or, you may have the opinion that licensed premises have a beneficial effect on the area and in general. That the issues previously raised in the CIA no longer exist, therefore, the cumulative impact policy should no longer apply. 

You may have the opinion that a Cumulative Impact Policy is still required, but needs amending, by altering the boundary or widening the scope to include other types of applications not just those requesting ‘Off sales’ of alcohol. 

All responses will be properly considered along with any supporting statistical and evidential data, prior to determination of the policy. 

As of 3 August 2023, there were 84 licensed premises within the defined CIP boundary. Of these 84 premises:

• 18 premises are licensed for the consumption of alcohol on the premises (On sales)
• 29 premises are licensed for consumption of alcohol off the premises (Off sales)
• 18 premises are licensed for consumption on and off the premises (On and Off sales)
• 19 premises licensed with no alcohol provision 

Please note:

• Cumulative Impact Policies relate to new and variation applications and cannot be used to revoke existing authorisations
• Each application is determined on its own merits
• Section 14.39 of Section 182 guidance states

‘When publishing a CIA a licensing authority is required to set out evidence of problems that are being caused or exacerbated by the cumulative impact of licensed premises in the area described. The evidence is used to justify the statement in the CIA that it is likely that granting further premises licences and/or club premises certificates in that area (limited to a kind described in the assessment), would be inconsistent with the authority’s duty to promote the licensing objectives.’ 

Please read Section 12 of the current Statement of Licensing Policy and the CIA statement and respond prior to 18 October 2023 with your comments.