Thousands face licensing limbo
by John Harrington
Trade leaders are still predicting thousands of pubs won't hit the deadline for grandfather rights despite a recent surge in applications.
Forty-two per cent of licence applications are now in, according to the latest survey from the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS). The proportion one week earlier was around one-third.
British Beer & Pub Associa-tion director of communications Mark Hastings claims that around 65% of pub applications have now been submitted, and that the 'vast majority of pubs are on track to submit applications by the 6 August deadline for grandfather rights.
'The rate of applications has been increasing expediently over the last few weeks, he said.
'That was always to be expected. It takes time to get applications to the point of being ready for submission.
The BBPA wants to stick to the licensing timetable. But Hastings added: 'There are clearly some concerns that we have only a few weeks left to hit the target.
But other trade leaders and councils fear a huge shortfall in licence applications by 6 August.
BII chief executive John McNamara repeated his plea for the second appointed day to be pushed back from 24 November.
But failing that, he urged the DCMS to devise a contingency plan if a high number of venues fail to get licensed when the Licensing Act goes live.
'Will police close places down? Or will they give a period of grace? If they do that, there's some issues that need to be talked about in advance, he said.
Association of Licensed Mul-tiple Retailers chief executive Nick Bish said the large number of forms being returned because of errors was proving to be a major problem.
He also claimed that other licensed venues were lagging well behind pubs in submitting applications.
Bish said his 'preferred option was to keep the second appointed day as 24 November, but he conceded that 'it may have to be deferred.
Trade leaders, licensing solicitors and council representatives discussed the issues at a 'crisis meeting called by Westminster City Council last week.
Licensing Minister James Purnell told the House of Commons before the meeting that he had 'no intention of moving the 6 August deadline and a 'very significant number of venues would have submitted applications in time.
But Audrey Lewis, Westmin-ster cabinet member for licensing, said that at the meeting, nobody disagreed with 'the fact that things are much worse than the DCMS would have us believe.
