Licensing Act review announced
Wednesday 28 July 2010
The Home Office has today launched a consultation on a range of options to give more powers to local authorities, communities and the police to help them tackle alcohol-related crime. The consultation closes on 8 September 2010.
The consultation - 'Rebalancing the Licensing Act - a consultation on empowering individuals, families and local communities to shape and determine local licensing' aims to "overhaul the current licensing regime, in order to give more power to local authorities and police. This will help them deal with alcohol-related crime and disorder, while also promoting responsible business."
A range of options are under consideration, including:
- making it easier for communities to have their say on local licensing by allowing local authorities to consider the views of the wider community, not just those living close to premises
- taking action against underage drinking by doubling the fine to £20,000 for those found persistently selling alcohol to children, extending orders that see premises closed on a voluntary basis to a minimum of seven days and bringing in automatic licence reviews for these problem premises – which can see licences revoked
- charging a fee for late-night licences to pay for the cost of extra policing and scrapping ineffective, bureaucratic and unpopular alcohol disorder zones
- ensuring policing and health concerns are fully considered so that the impact of licensing on crime and disorder or public health can be fully taken into account when assessing licence applications
- increasing licence fees so that local councils can cover costs linked to enforcement leaving premises to pay rather than the local taxpayer
- tightening up rules for temporary licences by limiting the number of Temporary Event Notices that can be applied for in any one year - these are often used to get around the restrictions of applying for a permanent licence
- introducing a ban the sale of below cost alcohol and consulting on how this can be achieved.
The consultation will run for six weeks - until Wednesday 8 September 2010.
Responses can be made online or via post/email. Read more.