Alcohol: licensing Cumulative impact assessments
Cumulative Impact Assessments (referred to as cumulative impact policies ("CIPs")), prior to being placed on a statutory footing, are intended to assist licensing authorities in carrying out their functions in relation to controlling the number or type of licence applications granted in an area where there is evidence of problems caused by high numbers of licensed premises concentrated in the area. The CIP scheme is currently set out in the statutory guidance issued under section 182 of the 2003 Act. The Government’s Modern Crime Prevention Strategy, published in March 2016, committed to putting CIPs on a statutory footing in order to provide greater clarity and legal certainty about their use and to ensure that any cumulative impact assessment is based on evidence. Section 141 gives effect to this. It also contains certain requirements as to the consultation which must be carried out before a cumulative impact assessment can be published. The opinion forming the basis of the assessment must be reviewed at least every three years.