Call for licences to be health tested
Obesity & alcoholism risk-test urged
Licensing advisory forums recommended
New licensing and planning applications for pubs should be subject to a health test — to see if they impact on areas such as alcoholism and obesity.
That's the view of a new local authority-backed health commission in Liverpool, which is looking at how to improve the health of local people.
A new report from the Health is Wealth Commission says it wants to "lobby for more formal structures to enable local authorities to consider health impacts in planning and licensing policies".
It wants the Government to let councils include a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) in local licensing policies.
The decision about whether to include a HIA would be taken by new "licensing advisory forums" of interested parties such as councillors, primary care trusts and industry.
The approach would also apply to off-trade premises and the report says "this model could potentially be rolled out to include planning applications for fast-food establishments".
The plan mirrors the approach in Scotland's new Licensing Act, where licences can be refused on the grounds of public health.
MA legal editor Peter
Coulson said attempts to use an HIA to refuse new licences would prove difficult.
"The Licensing Act Guidance specifically says councils shouldn't pay attention to health matters, except in relation to direct physical safety."
On the prospect of planning applications being refused on health grounds, Coulson said: "It would be possible, but it would be difficult. They would have to show there is a specific planning issue at stake."
