Truro among four Cornish towns where council renews crime-focused licensing measures

Licensing move aims to curb crime and disorder around pubs and clubs

Devon and Cornwall Police have urged Cornwall Council to maintain and strengthen measures in four towns where a concentration of licensed premises has been linked to increased violent disorder, anti-social behaviour and sexual offences. At a licensing committee meeting on Thursday, councillors unanimously agreed to renew Cumulative Impact Assessments (CIAs) covering Truro, Newquay, Falmouth and Penzance, and to launch a period of public consultation on the decision.

CIAs are planning tools used by the council to recognise where a dense cluster of premises such as pubs, bars and nightclubs is having a serious detrimental effect on the licensing objective to prevent crime and disorder. In practice, the existence of a CIA means that any new application likely to add to that impact will normally be refused or subjected to conditions unless the applicant can convincingly demonstrate there would be no negative effect.

The committee heard that the assessments had technically lapsed because the police experienced a delay in submitting evidence for review, and that the CIAs were required by law to be reviewed at least every three years. Despite that procedural lapse, councillors decided to renew the CIAs following the forthcoming public consultation.

Police propose a shift towards partnership working

Representatives of Devon and Cornwall Police told the meeting they support exploring a transition from the current CIA approach to so-called Community Safety Zones. They described Community Safety Zones as:

“a more proactive partnership-based approach that focuses on managing risks through partnership, operator responsibility and safety initiatives rather than relying on a presumption to refuse new licences through Cumulative Impact Assessment policies”.

The police suggested that Community Safety Zones could better balance the needs of the night-time economy with public safety by encouraging shared responsibility between authorities, venue operators and local partners, rather than defaulting to refusals of new licences in pressured areas.

For Truro — where evening footfall around the city centre is an important part of local hospitality and small business trade — the choice of approach matters. CIAs provide a clear legal tool to limit the growth of premises that might exacerbate problems, while Community Safety Zones would rely more on co-operation, targeted initiatives and operator-led safety measures.

• What the CIAs do: Give licensing committees a presumption to refuse applications likely to worsen crime and disorder in defined areas.
• Why they were renewed: Police evidence (albeit submitted late) indicated continued concerns about violent disorder, anti-social behaviour and sexual offences.
• Next step: Public consultation before the renewed CIAs are finalised; further exploration of Community Safety Zones.

Local consequences and questions for businesses

For publicans, restaurateurs and other licence-holders in Truro the renewal of the CIA will be closely watched. If maintained, the assessment makes it harder for new late-night premises to open and could affect expansion plans for existing venues. Conversely, a move towards Community Safety Zones would ask operators to play a more active role in preventing harm — through measures such as improved stewarding, better lighting, and co-ordinated transport or dispersal strategies — rather than relying on refusal policies.

Members of the licensing committee emphasised that the CIAs must be reviewed periodically to ensure they reflect current evidence and local circumstances. The public consultation provides an opportunity for residents, business owners and other stakeholders in Truro to make their views known on whether a presumption against further licences remains appropriate, or whether a partnership-based Community Safety Zone would achieve better outcomes while supporting the local economy.

As the consultation proceeds, residents of Truro should expect to see opportunities to comment on how best to keep town centres safe in the evenings while safeguarding livelihoods that rely on the evening economy. The debate raises a wider question for Cornish towns: whether regulation or partnership will deliver the most sustainable balance between safety and business growth.