Town to lift restriction on night-time businesses

A Surrey town is set to end a restriction on new night-time businesses, with the council saying the way people go out has changed.

Woking Borough Council currently has in place a "saturation zone", which allows it to refuse new licences in parts of the town centre.

But it has now recommended getting rid of the restriction, which typically automatically refuses applications from premises selling alcohol, late-night takeaways, music and sports venues.

The zone was introduced in 2007 in an attempt to curb crime and antisocial behaviour.

But a council report says evidence suggests the number of premises is not negatively impacting these problems.

Council leader Anne-Marie Barker said the saturation zone was not the "best way any more to manage the town centre".

She said there were a lot more licensed premises and nightclubs 20 years ago and there was a "difference in environment".

"You literally used to have a police van parked on the edge of that area ready to deal with any issues that might occur," Barker added.

"We've moved on a very long way from that now.

"People's ways of going out have changed."

Matthew Webster, operations manager for the London Stone Pub Group, described the restriction as an "overkill".

He told BBC Radio Surrey that ending the zone could benefit the town by allowing businesses that would boost jobs and revenues for the local authority.

"It's growth - that's what we all seem to be striving for at the minute," he said.

Webster urged those who may be concerned about the possible impact of removing the zone to "experience the safe environment a lot of premises in the town provide".

"They need to overcome their fear of crime," he continued.

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