Council proposals could result in club closures across the city

Norwich City Council’s proposals to enforce an Early Morning Restriction Order (EMRO) could potentially result in the closure of a number of clubs not situated in the Prince of Wales or Riverside area.

An EMRO would mean restrictions to the hours all clubs can serve alcohol but harsher restrictions to those which do not fall within the Late Night Activity Zone (LNAZ), the majority of which is Prince of Wales and the Riverside.

On Tuesday (27 November) the Council decided that proposals to curtail Norwich drinking hours will be put to public consultation.

Residents of Norwich will be asked whether they are in favour of an EMRO and if so which of two proposals they would support.

The first would allow no alcohol to be sold between 3am and 6am all week, except in the LNAZ where alcohol could be served until 4am on Friday and Saturday nights.

The other proposal is a ban on the sale of drink 2.30am-6am all week but in the LNAZ only between 3am and 6am Monday to Friday and after 3.30am on Friday and Saturday nights.

A map showing the Late Night Activity Zone (LNAZ), taken from the police report on the EMRO

The Tab spoke to Mike Baxter, manager of popular independent club Kartel (which is not in the LNAZ), about the how proposals might affect Kartel, whose late opening hours are one of its attractions to UEA students.

He said: “Our sales would go down, we would probably be closed, or forced to move to Prince of Wales, as would the other bars”

Kartel, which has held popular club nights running until 6am, could be prevented from serving alcohol after 2.30am under one of the proposals.

Other venues which fall outside the LNAZ include Hideout, Karma Kafé and The Castle, a popular social destination for UEA Pride.

Hideout, just one of the clubs which could be affected by council proposals

A police report on the proposals (Click here to read the whole report) states that the presence of clubs such as Kartel which exist outside the Late Night Activity Zone “has caused a persistent level of complaints about noise and nuisance from those living and working nearby and also serves to stretch the Police resources over a wider area”

Norfolk Police say: “It is our view that late night entertainment can be best managed if it is concentrated into one area.”

The report also includes statistics which show a 127.6% increase from 2009 to 2012 in violence between 3am and 6am where the victim sustained a recorded injury.

Kartel manager Mike Baxter was concerned that further violence may result from concentration of Norwich’s night life.

He said: “Anything that restricts night life to one road creates an incredibly dangerous hotspot. Prince of Wales is already one of the most dangerous roads in the country, they are going to be allowing a controlled mayhem in that area”

“Taxi ranks and takeaways are where most fights happen, now squash an extra thousand people onto the same street, and on top of that make all bars empty at once.”

The Tab will publish details when arrangements for public consultation are announced.

What is your opinion on the council proposals? Have your say in the comments box below.