THE varied and plentiful pubs, clubs and bars that play such a lively part in Weymouth's atmosphere are being urged to sign up for a programme promoting responsible management of licensed venues.

Best Bar None (BBN) is an accreditation scheme encompassing all aspects of running a venue, from drugs policy to health and safety. The scheme's steering committee in Weymouth, composed of owners and managers of licensed venues, is now calling on their counterparts in the industry to apply for the BBN scheme.

"Nightlife in Weymouth is huge," said Kaiko McKay of the committee. "Yeovil, which has a much larger population, has a night-time economy only about a quarter of the size."

Ms McKay, 31, a member of Weymouth Pubwatch and former employee of The Rendezvous on St Thomas Street, stressed that it was vital to reassure residents and visitors alike that the town's venues were managed responsibly.

"We want people who come here on holiday, or those who live here, to be able to see the [Best Bar None] logo and know that [the venue] has a good drug policy, a good policy on drinking, good staff policy," she said.

She added that while chain-owned venues had access to pre-prepared policies and procedures, smaller independent venues had to come up with their own, creating an extra burden of management on already overworked individuals.

"These policies and procedures cover everything from glass-collection policy to drink-driving awareness," she explained.

Nikki Smith, 25-year-old manager of Aura CafeBar on the Esplanade, added: "This is about seeing better and safer venues."

A new app has also been launched to accompany the scheme.

Jamie Crage, owner of The Closet on Maiden Street and Tbar on St Edmund Street, said he wanted the app to be a useful visitors' guide to the town's nightspots, and would show partygoers which venues were BBN accredited and which weren't.

"We want people in holiday camps and train stations to use this app. We want it to the best guide to Weymouth's best venues," he explained.

Greater engagement with the BBN scheme could also help Weymouth achieve a Purple Flag, which are awarded to towns considered to offer a safe and enjoyable night out; factors assessed include an area's crime rates, hygiene standards and range of visitor attractions.

On the topic of earlier closing times to reduce drinking-related crime, the steering committee said it was part of proposals they were looking at, and that acting against alcohol-related violence and anti-social behaviour was very much part of what constituted responsible management according to the BBN scheme.

"Everyone is keen to reduce drinking hours – no staff want to stay up late," noted Mr Crage.

"But this is people's livelihood – the late-night levy is something that has been raised, and we're looking at it, but independent venues can't be expected to apply it independently, when they have so much to lose in terms of revenue."

Currently 15 Weymouth venues are BBN-accredited, but the steering committee would like to see that number rise to encompass the great majority of the town's pubs, bars and clubs, including those outside of the central districts.

The closing date for applications for the scheme this year is the end of March - to learn more and apply, see http://bbnuk.com/.