Pubwatch scheme could make return

IT IS hoped Wokingham’s Pubwatch group will resume meetings soon, which will help tackle anti-social behaviour in Wokingham town centre.

Cllr Imogen Shepherd-Dubey, who is a borough councillor for Emmbrook and also Wokingham town council leader, said that late-night drinking had led to all kinds of problems including broken windows, smashed glasses and bottles, and loud behaviour that disturbed sleeping residents.

“This is blighting the lives of those who live, work and use the town centre area, especially as the mess is still there in the morning,” she said during members question time during a meeting of the executive committee on Thursday, March 31.

“We are in desperate need of a solution that ensures that a few people do not make things so unpleasant for the many.”

She added that under the council’s new public protection partnership, which launches on Friday, April 1, the anti-social behaviour taskforce will only operate until 2am.

“Most of the alcohol related anti-social behaviour we see occurs after 3am, as the bars close and people are heading home,” she said. “We desperately need extra support in Wokingham Town – now – especially in the early hours at the weekend.”

She wanted to know what the council was planning to do.

Cllr Bill Soane, executive member for neighbourhood and communities, said that anti-social behaviour had been discussed by the problem solving tasking group which was chaired by Thames Valley Police.

Actions planned include an operation to check licence standards in the town, while an unnamed “problematic” licence holder was being ordered to update their premises’ security measures, including CCTV.

Following visits to venues, it was agreed that door staff would stop customers from leaving with glasses and bottles, while it was hoped the pubwatch group would also resume soon.

Cllr Shepherd-Dubey’s suggestion of a late-night levy had been reviewed but rejected as not enough Wokingham town centre premises opened in the early hours.

“We anticipate that these actions will send a clear message to both the licensee and anybody thinking about behaving badly,” Cllr Soane said.

Responding, Cllr Shepherd-Dubey said: “The problem we have is not so much in the bars themselves, it’s when people leave.

“They’re going to look for taxis, they’re wandering around, they’re walking home.

“That’s generally when we have the problem.

“We want people to enjoy the town, but we need more support on the street as people leave (venues) and we need some controls.”

Cllr Soane said that the ASB teams would work until 2am “at the moment”, with the police in attendance, but “the times of the ASB team would be flexible”.

“We don’t even know whether we need 10 officers throughout the night or two at the moment, it’s very early stages … should there be a high demand that can be reviewed,” he said.

At this point, council leader

John Halsall said that the Liberal Democrats had “voted against the repatriation of our antisocial behaviour (team)”.

This was a reference to a council meeting where the opposition raised concerns about the plans to bring public protection partnership team away from a collaboration with West Berkshire and Bracknell Forest councils.

The new in-house service started on Friday last week.

“I think we’re going to find the sort of service we’re going to offer is going to be very beneficial to our residents,” Cllr Soane said.