Raising the Bar
(Date of issue: Thursday 7 May 2009)
Awards Scheme’s Assessors go out and about to find the Best Bar
None...
Best Best None’s Assessors have now done the rounds with their
clipboards as they visited town centre pubs and clubs in Carlisle,
Penrith and Appleby with the aim of finding the Best licensed
premises in the two areas Bar None.
The countdown to the Second Best Bar None awards evening at 7pm
on Tuesday 19 May has now begun. Thirty-seven licensees from the
city and town centre pubs, clubs and bars in Carlisle, Penrith and
Appleby have entered the Best Bar None Scheme this year.
Trained assessors from Cumbria Police, Cumbria Fire and Rescue
Service and the two local Councils involved visited the entrants to
see if the premises are operated in a way that promotes the
licensing objectives – to prevent crime and disorder, public
nuisance, and promote public safety and the protection of
children.
Hopefully most premises will achieve the basic Best Bar None
Accreditation standard, which will allow them to display a plaque
at the premises, however, premises who have very high standards of
operation identified by the assessment process will be nominated as
a possible winner for one of the following categories:
- Best Pub
- Best Club
- Best Bar
The Best Bar None Award Winner for each of these categories will
then be put forward as a potential candidate for overall winner of
Best Bar None for Carlisle or Eden.
The Carlisle and Eden Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership
(CDRP) are one of 80 UK towns and cities to adopt the Best Bar None
scheme, which is backed by the Home Office and British Institute of
Innkeeping (BII) and aims to promote responsible management and
operation of alcohol-licensed premises with the ultimate intention
of offering and maintaining a safer, more welcoming, attractive and
lively drinking experience.
CDRP Violent Crime Task Group Chair John Bell said:
“I am delighted with the response of local
licensees to the Best Bar None Awards Scheme, which encourages
licensees to act responsibly and take pride in their premises and
surroundings and, in doing so, put something back into the their
town / city and local community. The scheme has gone from strength
to strength, part of a package of measures designed to drive down
crime and anti-social behaviour in both districts.’’
Carlisle City Cllr Ray Bloxham, portfolio holder for Environment
and Infrastructure said:
‘’The rewards for licensees include, the prestige
of being part of the awards scheme, increased business within the
area and lower insurance premiums resulting from the fact that they
are running safer establishments. The biggest winners of the Awards
Scheme are local people and visitors, who benefit from a more
welcoming, attractive, lively and above all safe place to
visit.’’
For more information about the Best Bar None Scheme contact
Carlisle City Council’s Licensing Department on tel: (01228) 817523
or email: licensing@carlisle.gov.uk