Nigel Jones: Licensees must have say on licensing reform

The consultation closes on September 8 and I would urge fellow licensees to raise their objections at the Home Office​ website.

I joined those at the meeting in Cardiff which, despite the off trade being noticeable by their absence, was one of the best attended by licensees (according to a Home Office internee).

We were split into groups to discuss the issues arising and each table was given a chance to raise questions.

Though it soon became apparent the government is intent on railroading through certain parts of the legislation.

For example, there seems little chance of stopping the late night levy, which has particular relevance to pubs with 24-hour licences, such as mine.

I got the distinct impression this is definitely being introduced and will be seen as a revenue opportunity for local authorities. Many questions remain though such as will off-trade bear an equal share with the on-trade and will high street pubs have to pay more than community pubs?

It seems that well run venues - with Best Bar None being mentioned - will get some relief. But what about late-night food outlets such as kebab shop, of which there is no mention in the plans, should they not be subject to a levy too?

The Home Office also seems intent on repealing the mandatory code. The room, and apparently attendees at other workshops, reported that this has, as predicted but ignored in previous consultation exercises, had a negligible impact on preventing alcohol related crime.

On the issue of 'banning below cost selling' it again appears that there is political will but actually no clear strategy on how this will be achieved. Minimum pricing is beset with legal implications and the government appears to be looking to the trade to come up with a solution on this one.

A state of absolute horror engulfed the room when discussing the proposal to accept all police recommendations on licensing.

Apparently it was ministers, and not police, who came up with this little chestnut. We should fight this one hard and should take some solace that the police themselves suggested they already have enough powers and have little appetite for being the arbiters of all licensing matters.

For while the government seems intent on giving the public (no matter where they live in relation to a premises) a greater say on licensing issues, some local authorities at least fear that this could lead to more complex hearings and the potential for more appeals.

Could the local authorities in fact become an unlikely ally in the fight against some of these changes?