Agenda item

The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 16thApril, it had agreed that a report be submitted to a future meeting providing details on the extent of the work which was being undertaken by the Council, the Northern Ireland Assembly and other agencies to address issues around the social phenomenon of excessive drinking in Northern Ireland, including the consumption of alcohol on buses carrying patrons to entertainment venues.  The Head of Building Control explained that that decision had been taken on the basis of problems which had arisen primarily on the final night of the 2013 Tennents Vital festival at the Boucher Road Playing Fields and at the ‘I am Hardwell’ music event which had taken place within the Odyssey Complex on the evening of 9th February, 2014.

He explained that the issue of alcohol misuse and its consumption on buses travelling to events had long been of concern to councils across Northern Ireland. To that end, Council officers had been working closely with the Department of the Environment’s Roads Service and its Vehicle Policy Branch to examine the current law in that regard, which it was widely acknowledged was difficult for both coach operators and the Police Service of Northern Ireland to enforce. He confirmed that the Vehicle Policy Branch was responsible for areas such as vehicle safety and the issuing of bus operator licences and that, in 2013, it had conducted a consultation exercise on proposals for a new licensing regime which would provide it with increased powers to deal with vehicle regulation. That would include the implementation of a code of conduct for operators, which would seek to ensure that no alcohol was consumed on their buses. He added that Council officers were working with the Vehicle Policy Branch to consider ways of limiting the ability of patrons to consume alcohol on route to concerts and that discussions had taken place around the formulation of a campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of consuming alcohol on buses and of potential enforcement operation in support of the initiative.

Mr. P. Cunningham, Assistant Building Control Manager, informed the Members that he had overseen the establishment of a working group, comprising Council officers and a wide range of agencies and organisations, including the Department of the Environment, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Drinkaware, Translink and the Federation of Public Transport, to review last year’s Tennents Vital event and examine any indoor or outdoor concert which might be of concern in the longer term.

He reviewed the group’s findings around alcohol abuse and its consumption on buses and drew the Committee’s attention to a number of actions, which had included input from the promoter, which had been agreed in advance of this year’s Tennents Vital festival. Those would include the use of a radio advert and poster campaign highlighting the dangers of consuming alcohol on buses, together with the penalty for detection. In addition, the promoter would place notices in newspapers and forward information to all ticket holders highlighting the campaign and providing directions to the event and details of parking arrangements.  Letters would be forwarded also by the Department of the Environment to licensed private bus operators advising them of their responsibilities and of logistical arrangements.  He added that it was intended that those actions would be replicated for similar events taking place in Belfast and across Northern Ireland and that the working group would review their effectiveness with a view to enhancing future events.

            After discussion, during which it was pointed out that the measures, as outlined, would apply equally to substance misuse, the Committee noted the information which had been provided and commended the Assistant Building Control Manager for the significant work which he had undertaken to address the foregoing issues. The Committee noted that it would receive at its monthly meeting in October a report on the working group’s evaluation of the 2014 Tennents Vital festival.