Local Government

Paul Chase: What does 2013 hold for alcohol policy?

22-Feb-2013 By Paul Chase

I expect two main trends in alcohol policy as we move forward in 2013.

Pub property agents predict more planning policies to protect pubs from councils

19-Feb-2013 By Gurjit Degun

The industry could see more local authorities adopting pub protection planning policies — that’s according to pub property agents.

Locally-set licensing fees expected summer 2013

05-Feb-2013 By Adam Pescod

The Government “will shortly consult” on regulations for locally-set licensing fees with introduction expected in the summer, the Home Office has confirmed.

Licensing committees must stop pushing operators onto the back foot

20-Nov-2012 By Poppleston Allen

I have long been one of life’s optimists — the glass is always half full as opposed to half empty and I firmly believe that my team can always come back from 3-1 down, with 10 men away from home, with five minutes left to play.

Nottingham late-night levy could be introduced without proper consideraton of city's nightlife

17-Oct-2012

I am becoming increasingly concerned about the political influence locally on the late-night economy of city centres. Local authorities have a crucial role to play; they promote and invest, and exercise controls through planning and planning policy, traffic...

Police and Crime Commissioners need to work with the pub trade, claims BBPA chief

12-Oct-2012 By Michelle Perrett

British Beer & Pub Association chief executive Brigid Simmonds is to write to all candidates standing for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to push the case for partnership working with the trade.

National Pubwatch commissions research on the value of pubwatch schemes

02-Oct-2012 By Michelle Perrett

National Pubwatch (NPW) has commissioned Leeds Metropolitan University to undertake a study to evaluate the effectiveness and strengths of local pubwatch schemes around the UK.

Early morning restriction order being "actively considered" for Watford pubs and other licensed premises

02-Oct-2012

Police in Watford are “actively considering” pushing for an early morning restriction order (EMRO) from 1am following a 14% rise in violent crime in the town.

Fewer councils considering the late-night levy but more consider early-morning restriction orders

31-Aug-2012 By Michelle Perrett

The number of local authorities considering implementing the late-night levy (LNL) has decreased while more are contemplating early-morning restriction orders (EMROs).

Islington Council outlines plans to introduce late-night levy

20-Aug-2012 By Adam Pescod

Islington Council has outlined plans to introduce the late-night levy when it becomes available to local authorities next year.

The late-night levy: What could it mean for your pub?

23-Jul-2012 By Adam Pescod

The Government recently published its draft regulations on the late-night levy. Set to come into force alongside early morning restriction orders (EMROs) in October, the levy will have implications for thousands of licensees, should their local authorities...

Bill to protect pubs from closure reaches second stage

11-Jul-2012 By Gurjit Degun

A Bill to protect pubs from being demolished or have their use changed has reached its second stage in Parliament.

Late-night levy will cost pubs up to £4,400 per year

10-Jul-2012 By Adam Pescod

Pubs will have to pay up to £4,400 per year towards the late-night levy, as confirmed by the draft regulations on the measure published by the Government.

Village pubs to be exempt from late-night levy

04-Jul-2012 By Adam Pescod

Pubs in a village of fewer than 3,000 people will be exempt from paying the late-night levy, the Government has announced today.

Licensing officers and the issue of 'discretion'

25-Jun-2012 By Jonathan Smith

As a long-time licensing practitioner I still tend to make comparisons (though increasing less so) between the ‘new’ Licensing Act and the regime prior to 2005.

Northampton Borough Council 'could raise £160k' from late-night levy

20-Jun-2012 By Adam Pescod

Another local council has been accused of “jumping the gun” on the late-night levy by claiming it could raise more than £160,000 by implementing the measure.

Chesterfield Borough Council could introduce early morning restriction order

08-Jun-2012

Chesterfield Borough Council could introduce an early morning restriction order (EMRO) between 3am and 6am after telling the Publican’s Morning Advertiser (PMA) it was “sympathetic” towards the idea.

Pubs to be treated like ‘crack houses’ in Government's new antisocial behaviour proposals

07-Jun-2012

Pubs are to be treated in the same manner as ‘crack houses’ under the Government’s proposals to tackle antisocial behaviour. 

Pub landlords warned councils could change mind on early morning restriction orders

24-May-2012 By Adam Pescod

Licensees have been warned that local authorities could change their mind on early morning restriction orders (EMROs), despite recent surveys suggesting there is little appetite for their introduction.

Woking council withdraws late-night levy consultation

18-May-2012 By Gurjit Degun

A Surrey council that issued a consultation on the controversial late-night levy (LNL) has withdrawn the document.

Council leaders call for more powers over Late Night Levy

10-Apr-2012 By Michelle Perrett

The Local Government Association (LGA) has called on the Government to ensure that the Late Night Levy for clubs and bars adequately compensates councils for keeping nightlife hotspots clean and safe.

Portas Review: Trade backs push for more BIDs

03-Apr-2012 By Gurjit Degun

The industry has welcomed the Government’s aim to push for more business improvement districts (BIDs), but objected to comments on town centres becoming “no-go zones” when shops close and pubs open

Licensees urged to respond on levy and EMROs

16-Mar-2012 By Adam Pescod

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) is urging licensees to respond to the consultation on the late-night levy (LNL) and Early Morning Restriction Orders (EMRO), which closes on 10 April.

Night-time legacy

05-Mar-2012 By Peter Coulson

Increasingly I get the feeling that the late-night levy, like alcohol disorder zones, is a non-starter. Not because the trade does not like it (why should they?) but because it does not benefit anyone involved in its collection or administration.

Time to curb pre-loading

27-Feb-2012 By Peter Coulson

It is not surprising that National Pubwatch has picked up on minimum-pricing schemes in various parts of the country. I have been contacted by a number of readers questioning the manner in which they have been approached to keep prices to a certain level.

GMB calls for guidelines over Brulines

09-Feb-2012 By Michelle Perrett

GMB, the union, has called on the Department for Business, Innovation And Skills (BIS) to issue guidance to local trading standards officers concerning Brulines, the beer-flow monitoring equipment.

Pubwatch: How to watch out for trouble

06-Feb-2012 By Adam Pescod

It’s a busy Saturday afternoon and the atmosphere in your pub is electric. Two local football teams have just played out a highly-charged match on your big screen, and your bipartisan customers are all in lively, but friendly, voice.

Licensee in warning to trade over water charges

03-Feb-2012 By Adam Pescod

A Stoke-on-Trent licensee has warned fellow publicans to check their water bills after finding he had been overcharged £522 per year since August 2005.

BBPA welcomes Mary Queen of Shops Review

13-Dec-2011 By Gurjit Degun

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has welcomed proposals to improve high streets and has called for the government to put the plans “higher up the political agenda”.

A year of change ahead

12-Dec-2011 By Peter Coulson

There will be many readers who remember the period of transition from one licensing system to another, back in 2005, as one long confusion. Certainly the protracted period of change, complexities of the forms, the delays of local authorities and general...

Seating complaint costs pub £6,000

08-Dec-2011 By Adam Pescod

A licensee in Norwich has slammed a local optician who he claims has cost him close to £6,000 by pursuing a complaint about the outdoor seating area at his pub.

Greene King seals deal with council

10-Oct-2011 By Gurjit Degun

Greene King has appointed Reading Borough Council as its single point of contact for consultation with all councils on health and safety issues for its pubs.

Trade bodies in late night levy talks

07-Oct-2011 By Michelle Perrett

Pub trade bodies are meeting with Home Office officials and local authorities to discuss the implementation of the late-night levy (LNL) and early-morning restriction orders (EMROs).

Late night levy and EMROs 'unlikely' to be used

28-Sep-2011 By Adam Pescod

Early-morning restriction orders (EMROs) and the late-night levy (LNL) are unlikely to be put into practice because licensing authorities are simply “not excited” by them, according to licensing specialists.

Yates's unveils taxi safety initiative

12-Aug-2011 By Gurjit Degun

Pub chain Yates's has sponsored a ground-breaking initiative to help its customers get home safe in licensed taxis. Am I Safe is a web-based service...

Over 100 pubs owned by public sector bodies

09-Aug-2011 By MA reporter

Over 100 pubs and 130 cafes and restaurants are part of 180,000 assets owned by close to 600 public sector bodies, according to new figures from the Communities and Local Government (CLG) department.

Coulson: The problem with councils

08-Aug-2011 By Peter Coulson

The new licensing changes could be as bad for councils as they are for the licensed trade, argues Peter Coulson.

Rates scheme runs 'damp squib' risk

01-Aug-2011 By John Harrington

Plans to let councils retain business rates and borrow against future rate income should provide an incentive for growth.

Lords reject top-up licence fee charges

19-Jul-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Lords have rejected a plan that could make it easier for local authorities to add further top-up charges to licence fees. They voted against a...

Trade leaders welcome business rate plans

07-Jul-2011 By Gurjit Degun

Trade leaders have tentatively welcomed Government plans to let councils set their own business rates — but called for more clarity in the details....

Sanctions to improve timing

04-Jul-2011 By Peter Coulson

At last, it would appear, someone is fighting back about the dilatory nature of local council response, writes Peter Coulson.

No opposition to re-balancing

27-Jun-2011 By Peter Coulson

Successive governments have failed to find a competent solution to alcohol consumption at home and on the streets, writes Peter Coulson.

Weymouth pubs foresee loss of Olympic profits

24-Jun-2011 By Adam Pescod

Licensees in Weymouth look set to miss out on vital Olympics revenue next summer due to a new council policy on outside seating.

BID slams late-night levy

17-Jun-2011 By Adam Pescod

The BBPA efforts to stop the Government's introduction of a late-night levy have been supported by the head of Nottingham's BID.

ALMR's leased pubs worry

20-May-2011 By Michelle Perrett

Leased pubs should not be penalised under the Government's Community Right to Buy scheme, says trade body.

'Right to Buy may not stop pub closures'

09-May-2011 By Gurjit Degun

The Government's Community Right to Buy scheme will do little to save local services such as pubs from closure, warned the British Property Federation.

Fewer sting ops for pubs that self-test

21-Apr-2011 By Ewan Turney

Pubs that carry out their own underage test-purchase operations are set to be subjected to fewer sting operations, the Publican's Morning Advertiser...

Police in late night levy storm

21-Apr-2011 By Ewan Turney

Police will be under no obligation to spend money raised from the late-night levy on policing the late-night economy in that area, the Publican's...

'Late night levy has learnt lessons from ADZs'

11-Feb-2011 By Ewan Turney

The late night levy will be a more simple and less bureaucratic way for police and local authorities to recoup money from late night venues than...

'Add pub planning laws to Localism Bill'

26-Jan-2011 By Ewan Turney

MPs on the Save the Pub Group have urged the Government to include new planning laws making it harder to demolish pubs in the Localism Bill.