What is “Cumulative Impact”?
When a Licensing Authority believes that the cumulative impact of the concentration of licensed premises in an area is adversely affecting the promotion of any of the 4 Licensing Objectives (prevention of crime and disorder, public nuisance, public safety and protection of children from harm) it can consider any relevant representations from either a ‘responsible authority’ (e.g. the police or noise nuisance) or ‘an interested party’ (usually a local resident living nearby to the premises in question). The objection will usually state that the cumulative impact of new licences is leading to an area becoming saturated with premises of a particular type, making it a focal point and creating exceptional problems of disorder and nuisance over and above the impact from the individual premises themselves. In such cases the issue of cumulative impact can be taken into account when considering the individual merits of any application.