Challenging, co-operating and splitting: a qualitative analysis of how the trade press responded to cumulative impact policies in England and Wales

AbstractIntroduction: Cumulative impact policies (CIPs) increase English and Welsh local authority powers to regulate licences to sell alcohol. Commercial actors’ responses to CIPs potentially affect implementation and impacts. An analysis of the trade press provides perspectives on how commercial actors respond to this intervention.Methods: Qualitative, thematic analysis of trade press articles (published 2003–2016, n = 6 trade journals) focusing on depictions and responses to CIPs, including strategies for commercial actors engaging with the intervention.Results: Included articles (n = 257) provided both positive, but more typically, negative depictions of CIPs. CIPs were criticised for being unfair and an economic threat. Legal challenges to CIPs were at times advocated. Partnership and dialogue with local authority stakeholders were presented as a means by which licence applicants could promote their commercial interests in areas where CIPs were implemented, or as an alternative to regulatory interven...