Local Government

Doorstaff cop blow from double fees

19-Feb-2004

Small security companies and hundreds of independent door-staff are facing a double whammy of fees this year. Thousands of door supervisors face...

Legal advice: Improving the neighbourhood

02-Feb-2004

By the Publican's team of legal experts from London solicitors Joelson Wilson>Do you want your neighbourhood improved? Who doesn't? But do you...

Legal advice: the Anti-social Behaviour Act

29-Jan-2004

The Anti-social Behaviour Act now governs disputes over garden hedges too.By Niall McCann of thePublican.com's legal team from London solicitors...

Licensing Act delayed again

04-Dec-2003

The government has failed to keep its promise on the implementation of the new Licensing Act.The trade is still waiting for the guidance and fees to...

Trade suffering effects of reform uncertainty

20-Nov-2003

As the weeks and months go by, we are at last hearing some of the real fears of what licensing reform may mean voiced by leading players in the pub...

Don't put head in sand over noise complaints

06-Nov-2003

This summer I had a fair share of readers who were already experiencing difficulties with their local council, even before the new licensing laws...

Calls to give LAs more control over pubs rejected

30-Oct-2003

The government has rejected MPs' calls to give local authorities more powers to regulate and control pubs and bars in town and city centres.The...

Training councillors is vital for fairer system

30-Oct-2003

I was interested to see how the Nicholson Report into licensing law in Scotland, published recently, made much play of the need to train licensing...

Helping out small brewers

23-Oct-2003

John Grogan, in his otherwise excellent column on 9 October, suggests that the Small Breweries' Duty Relief will be extended to larger breweries next...

Licensees still confused over Licensing Act

10-Sep-2003

More than 40 per cent of licensees are confused about what they should be doing for the new Licensing Act.In a poll on thePublican.com almost a...

Publicans lack interest in Licensing Act, claims LA chief

04-Sep-2003

Licensees across the country have been slammed for failing to take the new Licensing Act seriously.Patrick Crowley, a leading local authority chief,...

Call for united front on Act

28-Aug-2003

by Tony Halstead A number of local councils are beginning to pool their resources in a bid to promote unity and best practice in the drawing up of...

Time for jaw-jaw before it's war-war

14-Aug-2003

Portsmouth has more pubs per head of population than any other place in Britain ­ yet the head of its licensing committee admits he's in the dark...

Welsh drinking referendums scrapped

24-Jul-2003

Rules that allowed the sale of alcohol on a Sunday in Wales to be banned have been scrapped, the government has announced.The move is the first major...

The Act is law, but where will licensing power lie?

17-Jul-2003

Although the Licensing Act is now law, it does not seem to have quelled the active debate about whether it is good law and whether it will work. In...

The results of reform

16-Jul-2003

It's been a long journey. Representations on licensing reform were first made to the government in 1999 and the Licensing White Paper drawn up in...

Drink pricing is in a fix

03-Jul-2003

Adam Withrington looks at how minimum pricing schemes may work as a solution to binge-drinking.Fighting, the spilling of blood and no small amount of...

Howells warns pubs to co-operate with local authorities

12-Jun-2003

Licensees need to work closely with local authorities to get a grip on anti-social behaviour or there could be serious implications for the trade,...

Councils play for extra time on reform

22-May-2003

The pub trade could be forced to deal with the introduction of new licensing laws during the most hectic trading period of the year, if local...

Earlier opening times warning

03-Apr-2003

When Tim Martin launched his nationwide "beer after breakfast" campaign, I do not think he envisaged what a hangover he would give me! Thanks, Tim. I...

Councils face black hole over licensing cost

18-Feb-2003

New licence fees will have to be set higher than the government's proposals or councils will go bust, claims a leading licensing lawyer.Speaking at a...

The Licensing Bill: fees

29-Jan-2003

By Richard Williams of thePublican.com's legal team of experts from London solicitors Joelson WilsonAs I write this article, the publication by the...

Maximising wine sales

23-Jan-2003

I was prompted to write by reading Alan Platts' letter and Andrew Jefford's article in last week's Morning Advertiser (16 January). Off-trade wine...

Pubs lukewarm on 24-hour trade

23-Jan-2003

By Tony Halstead and Claire Hu Few pub companies will take advantage of 24-hour trading, with two major operators not expecting to open past 1am, a...

Fees row intensifies as PEL profiteering alleged

23-Jan-2003

The war of words on the question of licensing fees under the new system hotted up last week. On the fifth day of their debate on the committee stage...

Coulson

16-Jan-2003

Following JDW's early lead QI was very interested to read your article about JD Wetherspoon last week and wondered whether we could apply in this...

12ConditionsConditions. It's a word likely to send a shiver

19-Dec-2002

Middlesbrough Council charged a pub operator a £4,000 nuisance tax last month for planning consent to open a pub on the high street. Stumping up the...

Reform cost savings simply don't add up

12-Dec-2002

Throughout the licensing reform debate, the Government has made great play on the cost savings to the industry. Principal among these in the White...

Solicitor fears hosts won't get fair hearing

12-Dec-2002

By The PMA Team A leading licensing solicitor has called for fairer rules of procedure when objections to licence applications are heard by local...

LAs could introduce 'nuisance taxes'

05-Dec-2002

Local authorities across the country could introduce "nuisance taxes" to top up their licence fee.Although it is understood that councils will have...

Major cracksin Licensing Bill

05-Dec-2002

by Andrew Pring Major flaws in the new Licensing Bill that could impact badly on the licensed trade emerged at an IBC conference in London this week....

What they said in the Lords duringlast week's second reading

05-Dec-2002

Baroness Blackstone: Modern laws are required to ensure people enjoy their leisure time while being adequately protected, without fear of violence,...

Thanks to the Minister

05-Dec-2002

True to his word Nick Raynsford, MP, Secretary of State for Local Government, has listened to the National Parliamentary Commit-tee and the Guild of...

Local councils claim relaxed opening hours will lead to more crime and disorder

19-Nov-2002

Local councils have spoken out against the proposed relaxation of licensing hours claiming that it will lead to increased costs and more crime and...

Public Entertainment Licence charge scrapped

19-Nov-2002

Pubs will no longer pay the controversial charge for a Public Entertainment Licence (PEL) under changes planned in the Licensing Bill.The PEL has...

Act now, says Tim Martin

24-Oct-2002

Most "trade leaders" have adopted a defeatist attitude to licensing reform. Peter Linacre's approach (Letters, 10 October) demonstrates the attitude...

Taking the lead

08-Oct-2002

John McNamara has fronted the BII since the beginning of the year and has spent his time tackling challenges head on. Michelle Perrett reports.When...

Advice to rural pubs may be misleading

03-Oct-2002

Efforts to revive struggling rural pubs are not working, claims a leading academic.Guy Lincoln, an expert in the licensed retail sector based at...

LICENSING FEE BATTLE LOOMS

03-Oct-2002

by The PMA Team A battle royal is looming between local authorities and the pub trade over the fees charged for liquor licences after reform. The...

Licensees join the big debate

19-Sep-2002

Almost 2,000 of you responded to The Publican's survey on licensing reform which just goes to show the weight of opinion on the issue and the need...

Local council chaos?

12-Sep-2002

The recent actions of a number of local authorities across the country are causing concern within the pub trade. Michelle Perrett reportsIncreased...

Trade attacked for being 'slow to act' on reform

27-May-2002

A leading licensing lawyer has attacked key trade associations for "sitting on the fence" for too long over licensing reform.Speaking at the Guild of...

Trade concern over plans to veto new town centre pubs

20-Feb-2002

New planning powers that would give local authorities greater scope to veto new town centre pubs have raised concerns within the trade. There are...

Open all hours?

01-Nov-2001

The Magistrates Association's decision to step in over New Year hours has re-opened the debate on who should control licensing. By Jackie AnnettIt's...

Licensees want magistrates to retain licensing control

13-Aug-2001

Almost eight in 10 licensees want licensing control to remain with magistrates, according to a new report.The report, commissioned by pub chain JD...

Reform Bill 'is backward step'

24-May-2001

Licensees are better off under the existing licensing regime than they would be under the proposed reforms, according to trade campaigners.Speaking...

The point of no reform

22-May-2001

Reform is at a critical stage, with the trade being warned it could lose outIn the months since the Government released its Time to Reform White...

Out of control? The trade's concern over licensing reform remains

09-May-2001

The Government's plans for licensing reform have been welcomed by the public, however, the trade still has many concerns. It seems the traditional...

Foot-and-mouth financial aid for trade

09-May-2001

by David Clifton, one of thePublican.com's legal team.I was listening to Radio 4 on the day that Phoenix, the 13-day-old heifer from Devon, had been...

Secure the future of your business

04-Apr-2001

The trade is getting closer to the establishment of a security authority.