Great Yarmouth councillors have approved a new policy that will make it harder to open pubs, bars and off-licences in an area just back from the Golden Mile, bordered by Regent Road, King Street and St Peter's Road.

The move comes after police data revealed the area is a persistent hotspot for alcohol-related crime and antisocial behaviour.

The borough's licensing committee voted on Monday, March 9, to adopt a Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) covering the area, which is roughly approximate to Nelson Ward.

A map of the cumulative impact zone proposed for Great Yarmouth. (Image: GYBC)

This means any new premises licence application - or a bid to vary an existing one - within the designated area will face a presumption of refusal unless the applicant can demonstrate they will not add to problems already linked to the concentration of licensed premises.

The new policy follows a consultation between November 2025 and January 2026, which drew 54 responses.

Of those, 54pc backed the introduction of a CIA, while 48pc said there were already too many licensed premises in the area.

A Norfolk Police officer confiscates alcohol from a seafront drinker. (Image: Norfolk Police)

Data from Norfolk Police spanning August 2020 to August 2025 showed 81pc of all alcohol-related incidents in the borough occurred in Great Yarmouth, with more than 2,300 linked to potentially licensed premises.

Peak times for trouble were between midnight and 2am, directly correlating with late trading hours, with seasonal surges during the summer tourism months.

Community concern focused heavily on street drinking, cheap alcohol from off-licences and the sale of single cans, with residents reporting noise, litter, public urination and intimidating behaviour.

Great Yarmouth Town Hall. (Image: Denise Bradley)

Many respondents drew a clear distinction between well-run pubs and restaurants - seen as assets to the area - and small off-licences selling low-cost alcohol, which were blamed for fuelling antisocial behaviour.

Some respondents warned a CIA could deter investment in an already struggling town centre.

One councillor questioned whether the policy would achieve anything without earlier closing times and better policing.

© Eastern Daily Press