George Street is a focus for drink fuelled antisocial behaviour. Residents and tourists regularly complain about noise nuisance generated by the trading practices of local late night licence premises, including the Blue Rooms. Residents are routinely exposed to noise, street urination and defecation as well as acts of vandalism. In addition residents have often observed evidence of public drug taking. George Street is a focus for violent crime and disorder with police statistics appearing to show some 12% of reported violent crime in the city taking place is this one street. Residents regularly witness violence and anti-social behaviour, a good proportion of which goes unreported.
Much of this crime and disorder is directly attributable to the operation of the night time economy. George Street has the greatest density of licence premises in the city centre; a sizable proportion of these have very late night/early morning hours of operation. The Blue Rooms is one of the largest of these.
Residents and visitors regularly report being disturbed by noisy crowds outside the Blue Rooms and many elderly residents report feeling intimidated by the crowds who often obstruct the pavement.
A large number of families live in and around George Street and are impacted by the operation of licenced premises. Drugs and drug taking have become an increasingly visible feature of the night scene in this area.
Most residents are aware of the reported findings which form the basis of the Police recommendations to the licensing committee and will feel that it is vital that the committee support the Police in tackling what, on the basis of what is reported, is a centre of crime and disorder as well as a focus for public nuisance.