Avoid this Zulu mayhem

For licensing officers, it's all a bit reminiscent of the film Zulu. There they are, waiting at Rorke's Drift for the oncoming attack, which seems to take forever to arrive. And then all hell breaks loose. That's how it'll feel in the run-up to 6 August. Officials will be inundated as the forms sweep in, and as it's likely to be holiday season, some of their newly-recruited colleagues may not be on the barricades to help.

But as with so many aspects of the transition to our new licensing system, it didn't need to be this way. For one of the many lunacies licensees and officials alike must labour under was the question of fee payment. Many licensees twigged very quickly that the system penalises early applicants. That's because they must pay the fee as much as nine months before the new hours come into force. And they must pay them again for the annual renewal from the date they applied, not from the time they can enjoy the benefit. Small wonder that licensees have held back from applying. And there is every indication that pubcos handling the premises licence applications for their tenants are doing exactly the same thing. They've completed the paperwork, but are holding it back.

That this is unhelpful to the local authorities goes without saying. But it's not in the licensees' interests too. For there's little chance of them getting individual help from officials if the council offices are battling like Michael Caine against near-overwhelming odds. Far better to apply now when the council staff are free and willing to help you ­ as most of them are, despite the horror stories we're all hearing.

Government could certainly help if it said annual renewal need only take place 12 months on from when the new hours start ­ though that would mean committing fresh funds to the local authorities to bolster their cash flow. Some local authorities have boldly made this commitment already.

But even that may not be enough. And as Government seems hellbent on keeping the starting dates, a more radical measure may be required. So why not let licensees who wish to carry on with their existing licences do so? Let them apply to local authorities when they expire. Others who wish to operate longer hours can proceed with their applications to local authorities as some are now doing, if they wish to. It would take all the heat out of this crazy situation. And save us all the embarrassment of many pubs being forced to close in November.