No PEL refunds

Furious Cumbrian licensees have blasted their local council after it refused them refunds on the unused portion of the Public Entertainments Licence​.

Barrow-in-Furness Council voted not to pay back licensees, some of whom had paid out over £1,000 on PELs just before the November 24 transition to the new licensing agreements.

In total the council owes around £8,000​ to a number of the town's licensees.

Paid twice​Mike Fallon of the local Licensed Victualler's Association said his members feel they have paid twice for the same period.

"We were told we would get a rebate," ​he said. "But now we've been told the council has spent the money"​

Fallon has drawn on the support of local MP John Hutton ​who has written to the council on behalf of the licensees.

Bleak outlook​However, the outlook is not good after the Morning Advertiser website spoke to Barrow's chief licensing officer Gary Ormondroyd.

He said: "Members voted not to pay the money back because they would have had to take it from elsewhere in the budget. They agreed that because of the benefits to licensees of the new licensing act they would have to accept this."​

Ormondroyd said he understood why the licensees were upset and said this was the only blemish on what was usually a good working relationship​.

The council's llicensing committee has agreed to meet with the local Licensed Victualler's Association but no date has been set.

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