Support the Peckham Saturation Zone extension.

Council proposals for control of licensing in Peckham Town centre
Council arranged meeting
TUESDAY 19 MAY 2009, 7pm - 8.30pm
at the Unity Centre, 37-39 Peckham High Street, SE15 5EB.

The email below from local residents gives information about the Council proposals, and seeks other residents' support for the proposals. A map of the proposed extension is available here . If you live in the current zone, the proposed extension, or in nearby streets, or care about the future of Peckham town centre, you will be interested in this.
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Dear Peckham resident,
Have you ever heard stories of shootings and stabbings at bars and clubs in Peckham? Perhaps you have suffered personally from problems of violent disorder or noise nuisance at or around licensed premises in Peckham. Have you ever wondered why the council doesn't do something about these problems? Well now is your chance to make sure they do, by making your voice heard.
 
If you live in or around Peckham Town Centre and you believe that the council should have greater powers to combat crime, disorder and nuisance caused by licensed premises in the area, then please act now to support the proposed extension to the Peckham Saturation Zone.
 
What is the saturation zone?
The Saturation Zone gives the council greater powers to limit the number of licensed premises within the zone.  
The effect of the saturation zone is to factor in the issue of cumulative impact (lots of licensed premises within a concentrated area) when considering license applications within the zone. 
Under the 2003 licensing act, any application for an alcohol or entertainment license should be granted unless it can be demonstrated that it will breach one of the four licensing objectives (prevention of crime & disorder, public safety, prevention of nuisance and prevention of harm to children). 
Within the saturation zone, however, whenever an interested party makes a representation against a new license application, it is down to the applicant to prove that the proposed license will not add to existing problems caused by licensed premises in the area. 
In other words, the default position within the saturation zone is to refuse a license application whenever an objection is raised to it.  
The existing saturation zone has already been used to prevent at least one night club on Rye Lane being given a late-night license. The extension will ensure that residents south and west of the zone are given the same protection.
 
Does this mean my local pub could be shut down?
No. The saturation zone has no effect on exisiting licenses, only new applications.
But if a license is revoked due to breach of licensing conditions, then any application for a new license at the same premises will be affected by the saturation zone. In effect, this will make it more difficult for problem premises to re-apply for revoked licenses.
 
What areas are affected?
The current saturation zone stretches from just north of Peckham High Street to Choumert Road/ Bournemouth Rd north-to-south, and from Consort Rd to Sumner Rd/ Bellenden Rd east-to-west. 
The extension will stretch to Talfourd Road/ Lyndhurst Way on the west side and McDermott Rd/ Bernhall Lane/ Heaton Rd on the south side.  
A map of the proposed extension is available at
www.southwark.gov.uk/Uploads/FILE_42065.pdf 

How do I make my voice heard?
Download the questionaire on the Saturation Zone extension at
www.southwark.gov.uk/Uploads/FILE_41779.pdf and return it to the council licensing department. 
Only those living within the saturation zone area or in surrounding streets are entitled to respond to the consultation.

More details
Full details of the proposed extension are available at www.southwark.gov.uk/businesscentre/licensing/licensingnewsupdate 
Saturation zone extension meeting
There is a meeting to discuss the proposed saturation zone extension on Tuesday 19 May 2009, between 7pm and 8.30pm at the Unity Centre, 37-39 Peckham High Street, London SE15 5EB. Call the licensing team on 020 7525 5748 to reserve a place at the meeting.

Who is behind this e-mail?
Tim and Alison Irwin. We live on Peckham High Street and, unfortunately, we have considerable experience of the negative impact badly-run licensed premises and over-generous licensing hours can have on residents' quality of life, having lived near to the M'Balax nightclub on Peckham High Street for 18 months, until it was closed down following a triple shooting. 
We believe the saturation zone extension will help prevent similar problems within the extension area in the future. We can be contacted at timirwin789@hotmail.co.uk
 
Once again, if this is an issue that concerns you, please visit the Southwark website and make your voice heard. 
Yours faithfully,
Tim and Alison Irwin.