Issue - meetings

-        Andrea Peers, Area Partnership Manager, Rother Valley South/ Mel Howard, Public Health

Andrea Peers, Area Partnership Manager, and Mel Howard, Public Health Alcohol Co-ordinator, reported on the work of the Dinnington Community Alcohol Partnership highlighting:-

-          The issues pertinent to each community were different across the Borough

-          Alcohol was a crosscutting issue and not just relevant to disadvantaged communities

-          In Dinnington they had identified an area, looked at the nature of the issues within that community, looked at what was available to address the issues and where the gaps were

-          Dinnington had a very clear town centre whereas East Herringthorpe/Dalton/Thrybergh did not

-          There could be 1 Partnership for the whole of Rotherham but perhaps be in the form of an overarching strategy with each community creating their own action plan and needs.  Each package had to bespoke for that area ensuring it was the correct action plan and people around the table

-          Dinnington had some very good charitable organisations and partnership arrangements that had worked very hard to push the action plan.  Police analysts had agreed a boundary which was changed to include a park that was a problem area following feedback from the community

-          The work in the schools had to include educating parents as well as young people.  The Alcohol Education Trust provided all the teaching packs for the 11-16 year olds

-          Retailer training.  Retailers were part of the solution and not part of the problem.  Drink Aware were on board also.  The Government consultation on minimum price for alcohol had closed but the outcome was not known as yet

-          The first retailers meeting had been held.  They had a number of concerns from a different angle but the solutions were quite similar.  They would like to reinstate Shop Watch

-          Need to ensure the Licensing Board were on board with Challenge 25

-          Many crossovers with underage tobacco sales – made sense to include in the training

Resolved – (1)  That the Licensing Committee be asked to consider including Challenge 25 as part of all license applications and for premises to maintain a “challenge” book as well as a refusals book.

(2)  That consideration be given to Challenge 25 being included as a Performance Indicator for the Alcohol Priority of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy.