Lib Dem calls for street drinking ban

10.50.57pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 15th Jul 2009

Barnet Lib Dems have called for an alcohol free zone in Cricklewood Broadway and Golders Green Road

Barnet Liberal Democrats have called for a ban on street drinking on Cricklewood Broadway and Golders Green Road, but the proposals were blocked by the Conservative Council at the Council meeting on 14 July.

Cllr Monroe Palmer said

"One side of Edgware Road and in particular Cricklewood Broadway is in Barnet. Facing it and adjoining it are the inner-London boroughs of Brent & Camden. There is a large amount of street drinking on Cricklewood Broadway and surrounding roads. Our neighbouring Liberal Democrat led boroughs have therefore instituted an alcohol free zone - in other-words no swigging back beer, wine and spirits on the street. This will not stop pavement cafes but has, on the Brent and Camden sides of the road, stopped alcohol fuelled anti social behaviour. Not surprisingly, the drinkers have even in their drink fuddled state realised that to drink they only need to cross the road into the freedom loving outer London suburb of Barnet."

Cllr Palmer praised the work being done in Cricklewood by the Barka project which attempts to assist in treating Polish alcoholics and, if they are willing, repatriate them. But this only tickles the surface of the wider problem.

The Liberal Democrats also called for an alcohol free zone in Golders Green Road. "The similarity is in street drinking with bottles and cans littering the footways and bushes. We even ask for useful benches to be removed to stop them being an outside drinking area. The position has worsened due to the new licensing laws which have seen an increase in longer and even 24 hour sale of booze from retailers in Golders Green Road. There has to be an acceptance that buying drink to take home or to a party is acceptable. Drinking on the street is not."

The Liberal Democrats asked the Council as an interim measure to establish no street drinking zones in Cricklewood and Golders Green, and then to consider a wider borough ban. But the proposal was rejected by the Council.