License

Tributes paid to former Wetherspoon’s and Pubwatch stalwart

06-Oct-2014 By James Wallin

JD Wetherspoon founder Tim Martin has paid tribute to the company’s former director of licensing, David Isaac, who has passed away.

Conference aims to help licensees avoid pitfalls of red tape

06-Oct-2014 By James Wallin

The first in what is hoped will be a nationwide series of training and networking sessions for licensees will be held next week.

Make Some Noise: Surrey licensee urges councils to communicate better over noise disputes

30-Sep-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

A licensee, whose venue has survived two reviews, has called for local councils to be more proactive in mediating disputes between residents and premises to reduce the number taken to hearings.

PMA launches Make Some Noise campaign

25-Sep-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

The Publican’s Morning Advertiser today launches a campaign to protect established pubs and bars that are threatened with closure due to noise complaints.

10 tips on the Live Music Act

10-Sep-2014 By Poppelston Allen

Never has the law relating to live and recorded music been so complex. Here is a brief guide to the main issues licensees often ask.

Still time to avoid this licensing no man’s land

04-Sep-2014 By Rob Willock

Give the Government some credit for its efforts to reduce paperwork, if not necessarily for the communication and smooth implementation of those changes.

Penalised for being top of the class

04-Sep-2014 By Mike Berry

When was the last time you were penalised for being at the top of the class? Well, that is exactly what appears to be in store for licensees who obtained their personal licences in the early months of 2005, when licence reform in England and Wales was...

Admiral introduces dedicated compliance workshop for tenants

29-Aug-2014 By James Wallin

Admiral Taverns has launched a workshop to help its licensees keep up to speed with red tape.

North Tyneside adopts cumulative impact policy

18-Aug-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

North Tyneside Council has approved a policy to curb new pub and club licences.

Law firm says applications can succeed in saturation zones

18-Aug-2014 By James Wallin

A law firm is celebrating success in a rare case of a licence being granted in a ‘saturation zone’ despite objections by the police.

Controversial ‘free bar’ Innsatiable granted premises licence

13-Aug-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Innsatiable, the controversial Surrey “furniture shop” that gave away beer, has been granted a premises licence.

Fears Government delay could lead to publicans losing their licences

06-Aug-2014 By James Wallin

Publicans are being urged to ensure that their personal licences are up to date after the Home Office admitted that future legislation to abolish renewals may not be enacted until next March/April.

Retired licensee praises LTC scheme designed to combat social isolation

21-Jul-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

A retired publican has praised the Licensed Trade Charity’s (LTC) Befriending Scheme, which offers friendship and support to ex-licensees.

Chelmsford City Council approves late-night levy

17-Jul-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Chelmsford City Council is the latest authority to rubber-stamp proposals for a late-night levy.

Nottingham approves late-night levy

14-Jul-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Nottingham City Council is the fifth local authority to approve a late-night levy.

PMA readers urge tougher stance against under-18s buying alcohol

10-Jul-2014 By Mike Berry

The vast majority of licensees would like to see tougher action against under-18s who attempt to buy alcohol in pubs, according to a new readers’ survey from the Publican’s Morning Advertiser.

Gov't consultation supports relaxing live music licensing laws for pubs

09-Jul-2014 By Ruth Williams

Cutting the “red tape” associated with playing live and recorded music at pubs and community events could encourage more tourism and hospitality businesses to offer live music, creating important new revenue streams.

What now for self-regulation of the pub sector?

26-Jun-2014 By Noli Dinkovski

In introducing its plans for a pubco statutory code the Government insisted self-regulation had failed. However, with legislation still a distant target how does this ‘discredited’ system fill the gap and will it still have a role to play alongside  a...

Innsatiable appetite for courting controversy

25-Jun-2014 By Mike Berry

Innsatiable — the controversial “free bar” based in Farnham, Surrey that first came to our attention in summer 2012 — is back in the headlines.

8 tips on checking your new pub's premises licence

25-Jun-2014 By Poppleston Allen

In the thrill of taking over a pub or other licensed premises, you may be busy arranging for your accountant to check the books, finalising your lease or tenancy agreement, arranging for a surveyor to check the property and so on. With all these ducks...

Industry slams unlimited fines for selling alcohol to minors

19-Jun-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Leading industry figures have said the Government’s plans to allow unlimited fines for selling alcohol to under-18s are unnecessary and potentially damaging.

BII Licensee of the Year says Britain will never adapt to 'cafe culture'

18-Jun-2014 By James Wallin

Twenty-four hour licensing was a worthwhile but ultimately flawed experiment, according to one of the first licensees in Wales to open around the clock.

Unlicensed 'free bar' Innsatiable forced to close

12-Jun-2014 By John Harrington

Innsatiable, the controversial Surrey “furniture shop” that gave away beer, has been closed for breaches of licensing laws.

PRS and PPL stay silent on merger

11-Jun-2014 By Ellie Bothwell and Helen Gilbert

PPL and PRS for Music, the music licensing bodies, have remained tight-lipped on whether they will merge after concerns were raised over their "illogical" relationship.

Government will introduce powers of entry code 'this year'

11-Jun-2014 By Helen Gilbert and James Wallin

Licensing authorities who want to visit pubs will be expected to give at least 48 hours’ notice and clearly explain the reasons for the visit.

Wales to get licensing hours extension for World Cup

30-May-2014 By James Wallin

The Home Office has bowed to pressure to allow Welsh pubs to open later to screen England’s World Cup matches.

ACPO licensing chair urges police to work with pubs

28-May-2014 By James Wallin

The police should work with publicans to resolve issues rather than seeking to close down venues, a senior licencing official has said.

BII launches first of its ‘Masterclass’ roadshows

27-May-2014 By James Wallin

The British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) has given a money-back guarantee to attendees of its first ‘masterclass’.

Enfield police cut pub visits after licensees accuse officers of harassment

21-May-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Enfield police have agreed to reduce the number of pub visits to check licence conditions, after the local pubwatch committee told the Publican’s Morning Advertiser they were being harassed by officers.

Enfield licensees accuse police of harassment

14-May-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Publicans in a north London borough are considering taking legal action against police for harassment, after officers visited pubs up to twice a week to carry out licence checks.

Helpful hints on personal licences

25-Apr-2014 By Poppleston Allen

Now that we have some certainty over the future of personal licences, in that they are to remain with us for the foreseeable future, it is worth reiterating the legal requirements associated with the possession of such a licence.

Bernard Brindley: Tributes pour in following news of his death

22-Apr-2014 By Mike Berry

Tributes have flooded in for Bernard Brindley, who died suddenly last weekend at the age of 63.

10 tips for staging a festival at your pub

22-Apr-2014 By Poppleston Allen

As the summer season approaches, your mind may be turning to organising a festival at your pub. Admittedly it may not be quite on the scale of Glastonbury, but nonetheless it could be an important way for you to market your business, make use of an under-used...

Police slated for using 'faulty' evidence in licence reviews

10-Apr-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Police are consistently presenting “faulty” evidence during licence reviews and “show no sign of stopping”, industry lawyers and consultants have warned

Trade bodies urge Government not to introduce 'complex and unfair' changes to licence fees

10-Apr-2014 By Helen Gilbert

Trade bodies have warned that the Government's proposed changes to licence fees could result in ‘increased costs and complexity for both operators and local authorities’.

Government scraps planned changes to personal licences

24-Mar-2014 By James Wallin

The Government has announced it will not go ahead with controversial plans to scrap personal licences.

Admiral Taverns appoints new training provider

19-Mar-2014 By James Wallin

Admiral Taverns has chosen CPL to deliver all its personal licence training.

Pub closure increase feared if Government introduces proposed licence fee hike

12-Mar-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

An increasing number of pubs could be forced to close if the Home Office’s proposal for locally-set licence fees is implemented, the Manchester Pub & Club Network has warned.

Islington takes a step closer to introducing late-night levy

26-Feb-2014 By Noli Dinkovski

Islington Council appears a step closer to implementing a late-night levy (LNL) at tomorrow night’s (27th February) decisive public meeting, after it emerged that its licensing committee had already approved the proposals.

Publicans warned to check licences ahead of March clocks change

26-Feb-2014 By Helen Gilbert

Publicans are being urged to check their premises licence ahead of the clock change at the end of March or risk losing an hour’s trade.

Trade bodies' concern over proposed Government licence fees hike

19-Feb-2014 By Noli Dinkovski

Industry bodies fear pubs could face huge hikes in their licence fees after the Home Office launched a public consultation on a move from centrally-set to locally-set fees.

Licence fee hike threat as Home Office begins consultation

13-Feb-2014 By Noli Dinkovski

The Home Office has opened a public consultation on a move from centrally-set to locally-set licence fees.

PM 1 — Bureaucrats 0

06-Feb-2014 By Rob Willock

I’d just finished putting the finishing touches to a scathing comment piece criticising the Home Office for its decision not to grant a national licence extension for pubs during the World Cup.

Local councils call for review of licensing system

04-Feb-2014 By Michelle Perrett

Councils are calling on the Government to undertake a comprehensive review of the licensing regime.

Leading trade associations welcome Government pledge to cut red tape

27-Jan-2014 By Lewis Brown

The Prime Minister’s pledge to cut red tape to help small businesses is welcome news but more needs to be done by the Government, leading trade associations have said.

Hackney to consider licence refusal policy despite opposition

23-Jan-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

A new policy meaning that new licence applications for pubs and bars in Hackney could be automatically refused, due to the “detrimental impact” on residents, may be introduced - despite the fact a consultation on the measure has been opposed by 85% of...

Eighth case heard by PICA-Service

13-Dec-2013 By Michelle Perrett

The eighth PICA-Service hearing took place at the Sheffield Cathedral Conference Centre on Friday, 22 November, 2013.

Doncaster licensee succeeds in changing council email policy

13-Dec-2013 By Ellie Bothwell

A South Yorkshire licensee has forced a local authority to change its policy regarding emails being used as evidence in licensing hearings, after he criticised that his privacy had been “compromised”.

5 festive licensing tips for pubs

03-Dec-2013 By Poppleston Allen

With Christmas fast approaching, now is the time to check your entertainment programme for the festive period is above board. Here are 5 tips for ensuring you and your customers have a very merry Christmas.

Home Office stats show personal licences increase

15-Nov-2013 By John Harrington

A total of 34,300 new personal licences were issued in England and Wales the year to 31 March 2013, as the Government examines plans to abandon the system, new Home Office data shows.