Sir,

I have written to the Licensing Committee of Monmouthshire County Council to object to the proposed ban on the consumption of alcohol in public places in Monmouth for the following two reasons:

The consultation process itself and the use of an order to restrict drinking in public places without any evidence being given, that this, as opposed to drinking in public houses, is the cause of alcohol related incidents in Monmouth.

1. The consultation process is flawed. The letter sent to householders refers to the Police Reform Act 2002 whilst the official notice published in the "Monmouthshire Beacon" on 22/10/08 refers to the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 and to the Local Authorities (Alcohol Consumption in Designated Public Places) Regulations of 2007 and makes no reference to the Act quoted in the letter.

The letter also contains the phrase "Taking all things into consideration, we would like to get these provisions in place as soon as possible" which certainly does not give the impression that the consultation is likely to be a meaningful one.

2. These proposals are a restriction of everyone's civil liberties

The implementation will affect all citizens and visitors to Monmouth in the very large designated area which extends throughout the town centre and beyond. The official notice states that the Order will give the police power to "require anyone drinking alcohol in these areas to stop and to hand over any open alcohol in their possession to the Police Officer.

Failure to comply is a criminal offence for which the person responsible may be arrested".The effect of the proposals will be to make Monmouth Town an alcohol free zone - confirmed by the report that 200 Alcohol free signs will be required at a cost of £3,900..

Anyone wishing to enjoy a drink in a public place within this area, at the tables outside the public houses in Monmouth for example will be affected and not just the "core of local male adults who are alcoholics" who are stated to be the target group in the report in the "Monmouthshire Beacon" of 29/10/08.

Are the Police only proposing to implement this Order selectively? There is nothing in the Official notice to say that the provisions only apply to a particular group of people. It is not an acceptable situation to implement such an order, erect signs to say that this is an alcohol free zone and then only to enforce its provisions on some people at the discretion of the Police.

Enforcing the order across such a large area in any case is certainly going to stretch police capacity.

The same report also quotes the number of police logs of anti social behaviour and crime linked to alcohol within the proposed area of the ban as a reason for implementing it but gives no analysis of whether the drinking which led to these events took place in the street or inside public houses.

How can we know without this evidence if this order is likely to have any impact on alcohol related anti social behaviour in the town?

Jane Harvey

(Monmouth)