York City Council and the Police have developed the York Licensing Protocol 1999 which sets out the policy for approving new licence applications. It emphasises the benefits of traditional pubs and of partitioned areas. For years now Police have advocated removing partitions on the spurious theory that supervision is all-important. Historic interiors are to be valued and protected and changes of interior style discouraged. The views of customers should be considered.

Newcastle has two "vibrant" circuits (Bigg Market & Quayside) but the local authorities are now clamping down. A licence application for a big sports bar development by Ultimate Leisure went to a 3-day crown court hearing, where many conditions were imposed; for instance over-21s only, no cheap drinks, no disc jockey and no flashing lights.
(Licensee & Morning Advertiser 22-Jul-1999)

Stevenage's "Plaza" town square development of 55,000 sq.ft. (the former main Post Office) is planned to include: Yates Wine Lodge, JD Wetherspoon, Hogshead, McCluskey's cafe bar, Madison's coffee bar and LA Fitness Centre. Unsurprisingly it's described as a "ready-made circuit" and is aimed at 20somethings.
(Licensee & Morning Advertiser 9-Aug-1999)

St Albans city centre is a no-go area at weekends for most of the population: young drunken people roam between "YPVs" (young persons' venues) with occasional fighting; bouncers (sorry, door supervisors) refuse entry to those too old to mix with "core drinkers".
(Roger Protz, writing in Licensee & Morning Advertiser 29-Jul-1999)

Leeds suburban publicans are finding they're losing up to £1000/week due to the city centre bars and there are more to come, such as a fourth JD Wetherspoons and a Bar Coast. They're having to move ents. nights from otherwise-quiet midweek nights to Friday and Saturday just to survive. About 50 new licences have been granted in the city in the last two years, most in the centre.
(L&MA 24-Jun-1999)

Doncaster centre is becoming a no-go area and there's worse to come: 15 more pubs plus nightclubs and restaurants are planned. There have been nearly 800 incidents in the last year (as reported to the police), including a death.
(What's Brewing Nov. 1999)