Purnell signals one renewal date for licences
The government has signalled that one renewal date is to be set for all premises licences under the new regime.
In an exclusive interview with The Publican, licensing minister James Purnell said the government would respond to pressure from the trade and the advice of its independent fees panel to bring in one date for renewals.
Six out of eight pub companies responding to a Publican report on the first three months of the new Licensing Act this week said they would like to see one annual date set for the renewals.
But Mr Purnell was unable to commit to a date before April 7, when the first wave of renewals become due.
"We are still working on the absolute details of this but we'll be able to say what our policy is before that date so there isn't any confusion," he said.
"We are working towards a single annual fee date in the medium term. We need to first consult with the industry, local authorities and other stakeholders. Licensees should therefore still pay their annual fee on the anniversary on which their licence was granted."
The issue could yet turn into a bureaucratic nightmare if it means local authorities are forced to refund licensees who have made early renewals.
The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) applauded the move, but said it was ironic that the government was now reverting to what had been its original proposals when the legislation was being drawn up.
Dr Martin Rawlings, director of pub and leisure at the BBPA, said: "It's good that the government has reverted to its original plan. Now it would be very helpful if the date could be set before anyone is asked to pay any fees in April," he said. "If it can't, we would like it to be set by October."
Other changes likely to come, following early feedback about the Act, include the requirement for pubs varying their hours to advertise in newspapers.
Pub trade associations have been responding to consultation over the guidance, while the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has also been discussing the first months of the new regime with 10 "scrutiny councils" across England and Wales.
Mr Purnell praised pubs for the way they had tackled the challenges of the Licensing Act, and for toughening up on underage sales.
"I want to thank the trade for stepping up to the mark. There has been a real step-change in the level of commitment," he said.
"There will always be some operators behaving irresponsibly. And we all know now that the powers are there to deal with them."
Related articles:
Daniel Pearce discusses the first three months of the new licensing regime with licensing minister James Purnell. Click here. Three months on from the start of the new Licensing Act on November 24 2005, we asked some of the key pubcos how they have fared under the new regime so far. Click here.
