More Councils removing Cumulative Impact Policy Areas

“Trafford and Hereford have now made the decision to remove their existing Cumulative Impact Policy as part of their recent licensing policy consultation. The new policies have now come into force.

Hereford in its new Policy states that in reference to CIP: in essence it was felt that prior to the Covid pandemic the need for the policy was there, but as premises are now struggling it appears the need no longer exists.

Trafford refers to the policy removing red tape on cumulative impact and later refers to a new application consultation service to support Covid 19 recovery.

This follows on from other Authorities towards the end of 2020 that have also removed their Cumulative Impact Areas.

As we have commented before, the Policing & Crime Act 2017 put Cumulative Impact policies on the statutory footing and brought in evidential requirements which must be proven before such a policy can be adopted.

It is inevitable that most Cumulative Impact Policies still in existence will be based on evidence from before the Covid pandemic and as such we anticipate that further policies could be subject to further review during the course of 2021 as the full impact of the pandemic on the Hospitality Sector and Local Authorities is assessed.

For those that have reviewed and removed these areas it is a welcome move by the Hospitality Sector that has faced the devastating impact of Covid on its business and it is clear now as the months roll on that the landscape for each town and city will now be different and polices will need to respond to that.”