Councils push for more hours power
by John Harrington
Local authorities will push for a greater say over licensing when the guidance notes for councils come under review next year.
While trade leaders insist the industry has little to fear from the review, the Local Government Association (LGA) has made it clear that it will put pressure on the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) to give local residents a greater say in licensing by strengthening the power of elected councillors.
The DCMS this week announced plans to review the guidelines three months after the new regime goes live on 24 November.
The move followed newspapers reports over the weekend that the DCMS is coming under intense pressure from senior members in Government to give local authorities more power to restrict licences.
A DCMS spokesman said the aim of the review was not to alter the balance of power between councils and pubs, but to ensure that local authorities were successfully upholding the four licensing objectives.
The announcement of the review coincided with news that licensing minister James Purnell is to write to every council reminding them to uphold the licensing objectives and of their duties to listen to residents.
Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers chief executive Nick Bish also welcomed the review as a chance to put forward the industry's views on the new laws.
'The industry has nothing to fear from a review, but everything to gain, he said.
The British Beer & Pub Association's director of communications, Mark Hastings, said it came as 'no surprise that the DCMS was to review the guidance.
'I don't think any of the reports over the weekend change either the substance of the legislation or what is going to be done in the future, Hastings maintained.
'It's already incumbent on local authorities to respond to the views of local residents.
Trade leaders said the review is not unexpected because the Government had already pledged to review the licensing laws. Bish added: 'The minister's private office has spun it to make it look like a new initiative, which it isn't.
