No ban on standing up while drinking, council says

Standing up in pubs and bars while taking a drink is not going to be banned in a seaside resort.

Blackpool Council made its position clear in response to reports that the local authority was one of four considering restrictions on so-called vertical drinking - standing while drinking alcohol - in pubs and bars.

Westminster City Council is considering the policy in order to discourage drunkenness, by encouraging more seating and table service instead of open bar space.

Blackpool council said while it was not considering a ban on such activities, encouraging premises to provide a "broader offering " had been part of its licensing police for about 10 years.

It told the Local Democracy Reporting Service it encouraged premises that provided food, entertainment, and alcohol, which appealed to a wider range of customers.

"Those tend to be restaurants, entertainment venues, and family-friendly attractions – where alcohol is ancillary to the overall offer, rather than drinking being the primary purpose of the venue," said a council spokesperson.

"These types of venues tend to contribute positively to a vibrant and inclusive night-time economy.

"This certainly isn't a ban on 'vertical drinking' establishments, though."

It added that any premises looking to open a venue primarily for vertical drinking would be expected to follow the rules.

"We are also approaching this from a Public Health perspective," the council said.

"Alcohol-related harm in Blackpool is significant so we don't want to make decisions that could make this worse, so as not to add to the cumulative impact of alcohol-related harm in our town."

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