New rules aim to limit number of takeaways

Late night takeaways have become "focal points" for drunk people in the early hours, police said

New licensing rules to limit the number of late night takeaways in and around a town centre were backed by councillors.

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council’s new cumulative impact assessment (CIA) will now cover all licensable activities including late night refreshment – a previous version of the CIA only affected places selling alcohol.

The Staffordshire authority will now take into account the increasing effect of all licensed venues over issues such as anti-social behaviour when deciding whether to grant a new licence.

The rules will be in force for three years before being reviewed again.

The area the CIA covers was also expanded beyond the town centre to include part of the A34 Liverpool Road up to the Milehouse Lane roundabout and the A34 London Road up to the borough's boundary with Stoke-on-Trent.

Committee members agreed it was right to keep and expand the assessment following a recent surge in late night takeaways and complaints about them from residents.

"I think from the perspective of [Cross Heath] councillors John and Gillian Williams, I imagine this is something they’ve been after for many a long year," councillor Stephen Sweeney said.

"I think they’ve both been sick as pigs of all the fast food takeaways going up alongside the A34. So I absolutely support this.”

During a consultation Staffordshire Police said the existing CIA had contributed to a fall in the level of crime in the town centre but late night takeaways have become "focal points" for drunk people in the early hours.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.