Plans to implement a 3am alcohol curfew in Northampton town centre have been dramatically scrapped by Northampton Borough Council.
Northamptonshire Police had asked the authority to implement an Early Morning Restriction Order (EMRO), which would have seen the sale of alcohol banned in the town centre between 3am and 6am.
The police argued the order was needed to bring down violent crime, but members of the council’s licensing committee tonight made the shock move to abandon the plan.
They made the decision after hearing warnings from town centre bar owners that a curfew could lead to venues closing and jobs being lost.
Addressing councillors, the owner of the Elysium night club close to Gold Street, Simon Thomson, said venues would shut if the curfew went ahead.
He said: “It could be the end of our club if it was enforced, and I say that hand on heart.
“And it would put a black cloud over the whole town, saying to people across the country that Northampton has got serious problems - and I don’t believe that is the case.
“I go around the town centre most weekends and I don’t see much trouble.”
Speaking for Northamptonshire Police during the hearing however, chief inspector Dave Spencer painted a different picture of the town.
He said: “There are high levels of intoxicated people in the town centre at weekends.
“It’s not unusual to see people collapsed in the street for example and we feel introducing this order would lead to a reduction in crime and the town would be safer as a result.”
But councillors were not swayed by the police’s argument.
Councillor Gareth Eales (Lab, Spencer) said: “A lot of businesses would feel the impact of this and some people would undoubtedly be laid off.
“I don’t think that’s a price worth paying.”
He was backed by Councillor Michael Ford (Con, Delapre & Briar Hill), who added: “Leicester, Coventry and Milton Keynes would love us if we brought this is because the people who now drink in our town centre would go there instead. They wouldn’t come to Northampton.”
The vote to throw out proposals for the curfew was won by a majority of six to three.
Reacting to the news, the chief constable of Northamptonshire Police, Adrian Lee, said: “We’re disappointed with this decision as we believed an EMRO would have been an effective tool in reducing alcohol-related crime and antisocial behaviour. However we accept the decision.
“We will now continue to use our existing powers and work with the council and the licensing trade to make Northampton a safer and more pleasant place in which to enjoy a night out.”