Is this the nanny state or a welcome attack on anti-social behaviour?
Hanwell Controlled Drinking Zone
Ealing Council is applying for a Controlled Drinking Zone (CDZ) in Hanwell to help tackle the ongoing problem of street drinking.
The decision was made at the Regulatory Committee on Tuesday 4 July following numerous complaints by local residents and businesses about intimidation and harrasment by the drinkers. The proposed Hanwell CDZ will cover the whole of the Uxbridge Road through Hanwell, West Ealing and Ealing Broadway. It runs north of the Uxbridge Road between Drayton Green Road, across to Hanwell Station to Hanwell Bridge. It extends south, via Mattock Lane along Ealing Green and St Mary's Road, through Northfields across to the Grand Union Canal and back to Hanwell Bridge.
The decision to apply for a zone was made by the council, in partnership with Ealing Police and other agencies working to tackle anti-social behaviour and provide outreach support to drinkers and homeless people. If the Home Office approves the zone, the police will have the power to stop people drinking in the area and to confiscate alcohol. If someone, without a reasonable excuse, fails to comply with the request they are committing an offence and they may be fined up to £500 or arrested. Hanwell Area Committee has given its support to the proposed zone following a presentation by residents on problems with drinking in the area.
Cllr Sue Emment, cabinet member for safer communities, said: "We know that anti-social behaviour caused by street drinking has made people's lives a misery in Hanwell.
"We will not tolerate our town centres being turned into frightening places that people are too scared to shop or visit. We believe that these zones along with a range of other measures being introduced to tackle anti-social behaviour will start to turn round the look and atmosphere of our towns making them places that we can all be proud of."
July 6, 2006