Bereaved family welcomes licence transfer extension plan

The family of a publican who were banned from selling alcohol after his death has given a cautious welcome to proposals to extend the period allowed to transfer a licence.

MPs reviewing the Licensing Act 2003 have recommended that bereaved families be given 21 days to transfer the premises licence instead of the current seven days.

The Publican reported last year that the Hyland family were hit with a 28 day alcohol sales ban at the Dyffryn Arms, in Neath, South Wales after the death of John Hyland, the pub's licence holder.

Mr Hyland's children had failed to lodge an application apply to transfer the licence to their mother.

The local council said at the time its hands were tied by the legislation, which specified just seven days for the transfer application to be made.

Mr Hyland's daughter, Victoria Keygan, said that bereavement "isn't something that you can put a time limit on. But clearly, 21 days is much better than seven."

She added: "We're happy that there has been action to address this problem. It's just a shame that we and other families had to go through such difficulties for action to be taken."

However Tony Payne, Chief Executive of the Federation of Licensed Victuallers (FLVA), said that 21 days, although an improvement, is still inadequate. "I argued in our submission to MPs that the three month time limit allowed under the previous legislation should be reinstated."

He said the situation had arisen again recently at a pub in Hull, where a family had to rely on special event notices to keep their pub trading after the death of the licensee.

"A bereaved family has so many things to think about, unless they're reminded about it transferring the licence will hardly be at the top of their priorities."