Pubs' variations could be mailed to residents

Councils should be able to choose whether applications to vary premises licences are advertised via mailshots to residents instead of in local newspapers.

That recommendation is to be included in the upcoming report from the 10 "scrutiny councils" appointed to test how the Licensing Act is working.

The MA has learnt that around half the councils think mailshots - used to notify residents about planning applications - are a more effective way to tell people about proposed licence variations.

Currently, applications to vary licences must be advertised on a notice outside the venue and in a local paper.

But Jim Hunter, licensing manager at Taunton Deane Borough Council in Somerset, which is one of the scrutiny councils, said the report will recommend that councils have a choice of three options for advertising variation bids and they must state which two out of the three to use.

The options are: notices outside venues, newspaper ads and mailshots to residents. Hunter said councils generally favour advertising via notices outside venues, so effectively the choice would be between mailshots or newspaper ads.

"Quite frankly, a lot of people don't read notices in newspapers and if there is more than one newspaper in the area they can be missed,"​ said Hunter.

It would be up to the councils to decide which residents receive the mailshots. It is unclear whether councils or licensees would fund the scheme.

Bernard Brindley, licensee at the White Lion in Pailton, Warwickshire, said he had "mixed views" about the plan to switch from newspaper ads to mailshots.

He said some papers had charged huge fees for ads in the past, but added: "I would be very worried about local authorities doing mailshots because it could be directed at individuals who they know are likely to complain."​

The report is also due to say that councils take charge of

submitting ads to local newspapers. They would pay the paper and then bill the licensees. Hunter predicted hosts could pay less because councils may secure a discount for submitting in bulk.

In addition, the report calls for clarity on who can object to licence variations.

Currently, residents living in the "vicinity" of the premises can object. The councils want the guidance on the Licensing Act to be altered to allow local authorities to define "vicinity" in their licensing policies.