Council plans to stop spread of bars and nightclubs
NO NEW pubs, clubs or bars will be allowed to open in trendy Clerkenwell after councillors confirmed that the area will be officially declared "saturated".
Clerkenwell attracts thousands of revellers to its 135 licensed nightspots every week - but residents claim that with the amount of alcohol on offer, people are drinking excessively and making too much noise.
After listening to concerns and being handed a petition with over 100 signatures at a town hall meeting last Thursday, councillors agreed that it was time to act.
The result will be that no more drinking establishments will be granted licences to sell alcohol and existing licensees will face tougher supervision.
Martha Burnige, 31, a solicitor, who lives off Farringdon Road, said: "I signed the petition because the area has become a bit of a hotspot for bars, pubs and clubs and residents are suffering the consequences of 24-hour drinking.
"It is not our intention to close them down or affect people's business but there comes a point when you have to say enough is enough.
"It is a great area to go out but it is also a residential area and people do not deserve to be woken up in the early hours by drunk people."
Residents and businesses in the area will have to be consulted before plans for the "saturation area" can be approved by the council's executive committee.
Clerkenwell ward councillor George Allan is at the forefront of the campaign and has witnessed the disruption caused by revellers first hand. He said: "It's as if some people think it is a free fire zone for inconsiderate drinking and disorder.
"I was outside Ghost, in Farringdon Road, at around 4am a couple of Sundays ago because residents had complained to me about being woken up. It's chaotic.
"Dozens of people mill around outside, some depart in minicabs hooting to attract custom, some conduct noisy discussions with their mates, they get into cars with loud sound systems and others urinate against nearby walls."
Even the bar managers themselves recognise the problem.
Georgina Allmark, manager of Match EC1, in Clerkenwell Road, said: "I think there are too many pubs and bars in the area. When you walk around on a Saturday night you can see that lots of pubs are not even open as they don't have bookings. It has got to the point now where we certainly don't need anymore."
The petition has also called for the council to take action to encourage more licensees to sign up to the Clerkenwell Checker - a 12-point code aimed at responsible bar management.
Councillor Allan said: "If premises are not managing themselves properly they must expect there is a possible risk of having licences reviewed or in extreme cases removed altogether.
"I started campaigning 35 years ago for there to be more residents and nightlife in the area but the nightlife is now threatening to overwhelm the area and that I am not prepared to see.
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