|
|
|
No plans to blaze a trail over smoke ban
Ben McPartland
CAMDEN Council is preparing for violence on the streets when the smoking ban comes into force in July.
According to a council report called the Implementation of Smoke Free Legislation in Camden, the Town Hall believes there is potential for trouble as smokers congregate outside pubs after the July 1 ban.
The report outlines exactly how the legislation will be enforced in Camden and is due to be put before council bosses on April 25.
Environment chief Cllr Mike Greene said the council will be taking a softly-softly approach towards enforcement.
He said: "The priority will be on educating people on how to comply with the regulations more than it will be to stamp down on them. We have to look at it delicately."
In the run up to July 1, enforcement officers plan to visit around 2,500 'high risk' premises out of a total of 17,000 places which will be affected by the new law.
The planning department is expecting to deal with numerous applications from pubs looking to put up outdoor shelters which the report notes will almost certainly see a rise in noise complaints.
"We will look at its implications on residents especially if people are forced outside to smoke. We need to try to minimise the disturbance it causes to residents as well as making sure premises are enforcing it," said Cllr Greene.
Camden's culture supremo Cllr Flick Rea, a 20-a-day smoker, said: "I'm not happy about the ban, I'm a smoker. But if the general public want to conduct their lives in a smoke free environment then I shall abide by it. My personal happiness doesn't come into it.
"I suppose if that makes a cleaner atmosphere for everyone else then I think it would be wrong of me or other smokers to insist on being able to light up whenever."
More than 50 businesses, including all those on Drummond Street in Euston have decided to impose the ban early.
Camden's Jazz Café has had a ban on smoking since national No Smoking Day on March 14.
Christine Indigo from the music venue said: "Whenever we gave a choice to artists on whether they would prefer to play in a smoking or non- smoking venue, the majority of them chose the latter and the customers also enjoyed the gigs more. The feedback was very positive so we thought we might as well bring it in from the 14th.
"So far, we have had no problems. It's run quite smoothly. People in England don't go against the grain. They are quite docile people."
ben.mcpartland@hamhigh.co.uk
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|