Nottingham law firm launches disruptive tech to help licensed trade
Nottingham-based alcohol and gambling solicitor, Poppleston Allen, has launched a new technology that it says completely changes the way operators find the 200-plus areas in England and Wales that have alcohol restrictions in place.
The firm says there has been a steady increase in the number of towns and cities with areas where there is a presumption to refuse new premises licenses or variations, if objections are received. These are knows as ‘cumulative impact zones’ or ‘stress areas’.
Nottingham’s cumulative impact zone includes parts of New Basford, Hyson Green, Radford, the city centre, Arboretum and the Lace Market/Hockley, including where the National Ice Centre is situated.
Poppleston Allen has created a free Google Maps-based tool called CizApp.
Lisa Sharkey, managing partner at Poppleston Allen, said: “Before CizApp, people wanting to run licensed premises needed to contact a local licensing authority to obtain a map with the restricted areas marked on them. The quality of the maps would vary greatly, and often it was difficult to work out whether a premises where inside or outside of a cumulative impact zone.
“But now, all people need do is enter a postcode, address or just a place of interest at www.cizapp.co.uk and a shaded area on CizApp reveals if the proposed address is affected by a zone. What’s more, the map also links to the local authorities’ licensing policy, showing exactly what restrictions are in place for alcohol sales. “
She added: “Not only are cumulative impact zones becoming more numerous, the existing ones are often becoming larger. In fact, just the other week Islington Council extended theirs. This constant change really causes confusion in the trade.”
CizApp can also be used via Poppleston Allen’s iPhone App, My Licence, or any iOS or Android based mobile phone.
Carl Weston, head of marketing at Poppleston Allen, said: “Having worked with some industry specialists during the testing of CizApp, we don’t think it is an overstatement to say that this transforms the market. We’ve taken a task that took hours – sometimes even days – and by using technology, reduced this down to seconds.”
It isn’t just operators that will benefit from CizApp, says Poppleston Allen, it is the wider licensed trade. It will also help developers, agents, surveyors and even other firms of solicitors understand what restrictions they are facing when advising their clients.
Poppleston Allen has a history using technology to help the licensed trade. It was the first licensing solicitors to launch an app – built by Nottingham-based AppInstitute – which now boasts over 4,500 users.
