Standing up for pub policies

6:10am Fri Jul 30, 2010

More people should be encouraged to sit down in pubs to cut anti-social behaviour, it has been claimed.

Southwell Town Council wants guidance about the number of people allowed to stand in pubs and bars added to Newark and Sherwood District Council’s licensing policy.

The policy is used when considering licences for bars, pubs and clubs.

Town and district councillor Mr Peter Harris said the policy made no reference to bars where most people stood up.

He said regional, national and international studies had shown that customers who stood up were more likely to be involved in anti-social behaviour.

Pressure

Mr Harris said: “We should be very clear. We would like to see pubs and restaurants where people sit down, drink and eat.”

But Mr Paul Handley, a town councillor, thought guidelines on people standing up would be going too far.

He said: “Part of our drinking pub culture is that people stand up at bars. A lot of people like to go into the pub and stand up rather than sitting on chairs in a circle.”

Mr Handley, who worked in the pub industry, said pubs were under a lot of pressure to attract trade and serve as many people as possible on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, which meant having a full pub and some people having to stand up.

He asked if the council could include in its response that they thought the key to reducing anti-social behaviour in pubs was to have a sensible operator.

Mr John Robinson did not think there was a problem in Southwell with anti-social behaviour in pubs being caused by people standing.

He said: “When I go to the pub I like to stand up with my friends.

“If, in a particular establishment, it does cause problems then that situation has got to be dealt with but it is too general to say we are pushing for sitting down.”

Mr Harris said he was not suggesting standing was banned but that there were problems in pubs and bars in Newark where anti-social behaviour was caused by too many people standing and they should be encouraged to have seating areas.

He said: “We haven’t got that problem in Southwell.”

Mr Andy Gregory said he enjoyed standing while at the pub but agreed that pubs should be encouraged to have appropriate seating areas.

The town council agreed to send their comments to the district council.