The new licensing regime could disintegrate into a "bloody nightmare" unless clear guidelines are issued on the role of the designated premises supervisor (DPS) - that's the stark warning from Massive Pub Company boss Peter Linacre.
Linacre believes the hurried drafting of the 2003 licensing act now haunts the industry with some police forces and local authorities, like Barnsley, insisting that a DPS be present at all times when alcohol is served.
Managed operators face further difficulties, according to Linacre, because some local authorities want the DPS to be the site manager. At Massive, the operations managers act as the DPS at ten sites each which they visit roughly three times a week. There are clear and detailed letters of delegation at each site.
"The DPS needs to be someone who is in a stable position within our companies - someone we know well," he said. "The key is to have a mature, stable person in this position - who is unlikely to disappear at a moment's notice. No matter how good a company's recruitment and induction program is, to make a newly-appointed site manager the DPS is risky."
Massive encountered difficulties over its DPS policy with two councils, Tandridge in Surrey and Three Rivers in Hertfordshire, before the authorities were swayed by Linacre's argument. "The interpretation of some of the local authorities and police that a DPS should be the manager of the site is too narrow a view and will lead to greater risk and uncertainty on site."
The official guidance fails to clarify the role and responsibilities of the DPS apart from stating they must have a personal licence if alcohol is to be served on the premises.
"The interpretation that most of us have taken is that a DPS is a person who has responsibility for a site but does not need to be on site to serve alcohol, who can delegate powers to individuals on sites - who themselves do not necessarily need to be personal licence holders," he said.