Local councils call for review of licensing system

The Local Government Association (LGA), a politically led cross-party organisation which represents councils, is launching proposals for full reform of the licensing system at its Annual Licensing Conference today (4 February).

Its report, Open for Business: Rewiring Licensing​, claims that the current system means that licensing laws are split across a number of different Whitehall departments, leading to uncoordinated and overlapping requirements.

'Outdated'​

The LGA claims that businesses and councils are having to negotiate a licensing system that is “out-dated, inflexible and complex, and places unnecessary costs and burdens on them both”.

The association has also called for a range of other changes including the introduction of a single application process allowing for licences to be tailored and new licensing objectives including the protection of public health.

Councillor Tony Page, licensing champion on the LGA’s safer and stronger communities board, said: “Licensing is vital for councils to support and encourage businesses and protect residents from the risks of dangerous and irresponsible activities. However, the current system is out-dated and inflexible a maze of unnecessary and costly bureaucracy.

Reform​

“Our reform proposals are not just about the administration of issuing, maintaining and paying for licences. We are setting out the case for councils to have broader powers to ensure licensing can address the issues of concern to local residents and businesses and how a wider set of licensing objectives would allow councils to fully take into account the social and health impacts of licensing decisions on their local communities.   

“Reform of the system has been decades in the making and we are calling for the Government to take on our proposals. They would allow businesses to flourish and hand communities the protection they deserve and rightly expect from their council.”

Reforms set out by the LGA include:​

•    A major overhaul to scrap obsolete licensing laws and an update to the remaining laws so they work more effectively
•    Allowing businesses to go through a single application process leading to a single licence tailored to their business
•    Introducing new powers to withdraw licences for non-compliance, which would remove the need for bureaucratic renewal process and lead to a simpler ‘licence for life’ principle
•    Government delivering on their commitment to localise alcohol fees.
•    Introducing new licensing objectives to help councils tackle clustering on high streets and protect public health
•    Enabling councils to adopt local licensing systems to reflect new and emerging risks, for example sunbeds.