Councillors will be asked to approve a new Statement of Licensing Policy at Full Council on Thursday 27 July.
Under the Licensing Act 2003, we're required to have a Statement of Licensing Policy that lays out the policies we will apply to promote the objectives when making decisions on licensing applications made under the Act. This must be issued at least once every five years as part of our statutory duties.
The Act has four objectives that a licensing authority must incorporate into any strategy:
- The prevention of crime and disorder
- The prevention of public nuisance
- The protection of children from harm
- Public safety
The policy should help applicants, residents, local businesses, the responsible authorities and licensing authorities to understand the licensing processes in their area. If approved, it will become live on Friday 1 September 2023.
It will not override the right of any person to make an application, make representations about an application, or apply for a review of a licence. Each will be considered on its own merits and in accordance with the statutory requirements of the Act.
A 10-week consultation period was held from Friday 23 December 2022 to Friday 3 March 2023 to gather views and opinions on a draft Statement of Licensing Policy. The draft has since been updated to reflect local circumstances and responses to the consultation and to comply with statutory guidance.
Councillor Robin Franklin, Cabinet spokesperson for Core Services, said: "The new Statement of Licensing Policy is a robust document which demonstrates our commitment to having a safe, diverse and family-orientated night-time economy for people to enjoy.
"I'd like to thank our staff who have worked hard on this and those who took the time to give us their thoughts during the consultation process. Their feedback has been taken into account and informed the final version of the policy."
You can read the proposed Statement of Licensing Policy in the Full Council papers.
