Reform puts the squeeze on clubs

While most of the attention in the licensing reform debates has been focused on the on-trade, the continuing position of registered members' clubs has been sidelined. Licensees with long memories will recall how the popular wisdom was that clubs gained a number of advantages over pubs under the law, including preferential hours. All that was swept away some years ago, but clubs still operate under a different system and renew registrations for as long as 10 years with magistrates. Under the proposals, clubs have still been kept apart, but the system has been brought much closer. They will need a new-style premises licence and an operating schedule, just like pubs, but they will not need a licensee or a Designated Premises Supervisor. Police will gain a measure of access, too, to check up on the supply of alcohol ­ and this is where the big change comes ­ clubs will in future not be allowed to sell drinks to visitors! I have checked carefully, and as far as I can see, the concession which exists in the current Licensing Act for the sale of drinks to visiting teams and persons attending functions has been removed entirely. All that remains is a right for clubs to supply alcohol to their members, guests and "associates" members of another bona fide club which meets the qualifications for registration. So the widespread practice of allowing under the rules a certain number of "outside" functions or the hiring of club premises for family events looks set to be outlawed, unless some clever way can be found of turning all these people into guests or associates. The club trade is finding times hard enough anyway. There were heart attacks all round when the Gambling Review suggested that they should lose jackpot machines (since rejected) and the recent annual meeting of the Club and Institute Union in Blackpool heard that workingmen's clubs are facing a shrinking membership and dwindling resources. But many of them have those lovely meeting halls, ideally suited to events and functions, from which they obtain much-needed revenue. If the opportunity for this is taken away, they fear even more closures. The only remedy seems to be for them to abandon their registration and take on a normal premises licence, like everyone else. Which is what the Govern-ment wanted in the first place.