Rochdale Best Bar None

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As part of the Rochdale Town Centre Business Awards 2008, Town Centre Management (in partnership with GMP, RMBC Licensing, RMBC Community Safety and the Fire Service) will also be running the Best Bar None scheme to judge the bars, clubs and pubs in the town centre.

The UK-wide scheme, which is backed by the Home Office and BII was piloted in Manchester in 2003 and has since been adopted by over sixty other Towns and Cities with great success. Best Bar None is aimed at promoting responsible management and operation of alcohol-licensed premises with the ultimate intention of offering and maintaining a safer, more welcoming, attractive and lively drinking experience.

Debbie O’Brien, Rochdale Town Centre Manager said: “This is a natural progression from our already very successful pubwatch scheme and shows the type of establishments we have in the town centre who are striving to make Rochdale a more safe and vibrant place to visit. The night time economy has an enormous role to play in our towns and cities and this is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate their success.”

Best Bar None (BBN) aims to reward licensees who provide good management, a safe and enjoyable environment for customers, discourage binge drinking and prevent alcohol-related crime. It encourages licensees to act responsibly and take pride in their premises and surroundings and, in doing so, put something back into the Town and their local community. The rewards for licensees include, the prestige of being part of the awards scheme, increased business within the area and lower insurance premiums resulting from the fact that they are running safer establishments.

Rochdale already has its own very successful town centre Pub and Club Watch scheme, with the key aim of achieving a safer, more pleasant environment for all members of the public to enjoy, regardless of age, gender, race, colour or religious beliefs, by encouraging Licensees to promote responsible drinking, drugs awareness and a sense of social responsibility in their respective venues to Bar Staff, door supervisors and customers alike. Members of the scheme have agreed to support each other in an attempt to reduce incidences of violent, criminal or disorderly behaviour in pubs. In particular they have agreed that anybody barred from one pub will be barred from all.

If any person is arrested for alcohol related crime and disorder in and around licensed premises they may be barred from entering any venue, which is a member of the Pubwatch scheme, for an indefinite period depending on the severity of the incident. The Pubwatch scheme is backed by a radio network, which allows the members to effectively share information with each other and the Police and CCTV. In addition the Police provide confidential photographs to assist staff in identifying customers who are barred by Pubwatch.

Many of the Rochdale town centre venues have volunteered to be part of the Best Bar None scheme in order gain accreditation.

There are three awards up for grabs:

• BBN Best Pub sponsored by China City
• BBN Best Bar/Club sponsored by Rochdale Safer Communities Partnership
• BBN Best Overall sponsored by RMBC Licensing

Bev Wilkinson Licensing Manager for RMBC said: “This is fantastic for the town of Rochdale and really proves that town centre venues are committed to raising standards and improving the evening economy. It’s great that together with our partners in town centre management we have managed to deliver such a successful scheme to Rochdale and now hope to build on that year on year. We are glad to be sponsoring the Best Overall venue as quite often we are just seen as the enforcement body but its important that we work together to improve the town even further.

The biggest winners in Best Bar None are the visitors to Rochdale, who are able to reap the rewards of a Town Centre that is more welcoming, attractive, lively and above all safe. For more information please contact Rochdale Town Centre Management.

Email: suzy@rochdaletcm.co.uk

Tel: 01706 926676