15-Feb-2011 By John Harrington
A group of Sunderland licensees has raised the idea of forming a "crime-watch group" to shop pubs that screen foreign satellite football. That's...
14-Feb-2011 By Lesley Foottit
A North Yorkshire licensee, jailed for attacking a man, will be free to run another pub when he gets out. Jack William Lindon, 23, of the Old Ebor...
14-Feb-2011 By John Harrington
Sunderland Football Club chairman Niall Quinn has attacked the use of foreign satellite systems to show football in pubs. In a strongly-worded...
11-Feb-2011 By Ewan Turney
The late night levy will be a more simple and less bureaucratic way for police and local authorities to recoup money from late night venues than...
10-Feb-2011 By John Harrington
Magistrates have refused to adjourn a prosecution for foreign satellite football screenings at a Humberside pub pending the European ruling.
09-Feb-2011 By John Harrington
John Harrington reports on what the opinion of the EU advocate general last week means for pubs.
Call for 'perspective' over alcohol-related crime
08-Feb-2011 By Matt Eley Matt
The chairman of National Pubwatch has called for "perspective" when tackling the issue of alcohol-related crime. Speaking at the group's national...
07-Feb-2011 By John Harrington
The freeing up of football screening rights could increase profits for major pubcos by up to 3.5% and benefit tenanted and freehouse pubs in...
04-Feb-2011 By Peter Coulson
Alarm bells ring when the question of licence fees is raised these days, says MA legal expert Peter Coulson.
04-Feb-2011 By Ewan Turney
The advocate general of the European Court of Justice has voiced support for the use of foreign satellite football systems, saying that the use of...
Licensing Law: Bog standards
03-Feb-2011
Towards the end of last year I reported that an increasing number of Environmental Health Officers were asking applicants for new premises licences...
02-Feb-2011 By John Harrington
Punch Taverns is claiming a first by trialing 3D projectors for screening football at its managed pubs. The projectors, from technology firm LG,...
01-Feb-2011 By John Harrington
Pubs could find it more difficult to successfully appeal onerous licensing decisions after a new legal ruling. The Court of Appeal ruling...
31-Jan-2011 By John Harrington
Albania-based Tring TV is the latest foreign broadcaster to issue a warning to UK licensees who use its decoder cards.
British Pie Week: Grab a slice of profitable pie
27-Jan-2011
The pie is the ultimate social climber. This simple dish originally made from low-grade offal and entrails or 'umbles', deemed worthy only for lowly...
27-Jan-2011 By John Harrington
Local councils are pushing for reform of alcohol licence fees in a way that could ratchet up costs for pubs. Town hall lobbyists say fees should...
BII searching for China's top licensee
25-Jan-2011 By Matt Eley Matt
Trade body the BII is set to launch a new licensee of the year award - in China. The group has just signed a £300,000 deal to launch its licensed...
May claims below-cost ban will cut alcohol incidents by 7,000
25-Jan-2011 By James Wilmore
Home Secretary Theresa May has claimed the ban on below-cost selling will mean 7,000 fewer alcohol-related incidents and 1,000 fewer hospital...
James Wilmore: Is the late-night levy just ADZs in disguise?
24-Jan-2011 By James Wilmore
Is the coalition's much-vaunted late-night levy turning out to be the new alcohol disorder zones (ADZs) in disguise? Having previously touched on...
21-Jan-2011 By Lesley Foottit
A senior councillor has argued that the late-night levy will not "effect any real change" as it has not been set high enough. At a committee...
Late-night levy won't make 'bad' licensees behave better, argues LGA
20-Jan-2011 By James Wilmore
A senior local government figure has today argued the late-night levy will not make "bad" licensees behave better as it has not been set high enough....
17-Jan-2011 By Lesley Foottit
Colchester Council is considering introducing a designated drinkers' area in the town centre to reduce anti-social behaviour. Up to 25 drinkers...
Fresh fears coalition will fudge below-cost ban
13-Jan-2011 By James Wilmore
Fears are increasing the government's much-touted below-cost ban on alcohol will have zero impact on cut-price supermarket deals. Government...
13-Jan-2011 By John Harrington
Pubs could be lumped with costly new conditions on their licences under a proposed one-word change to a definition in licensing law, trade experts...
Pubs face police checks over toughened glass
21-Dec-2010 By James Wilmore
Pubs in Strathclyde, Scotland, face police checks on whether they are using toughened glass, after new equipment was unveiled. And pubs with a...
20-Dec-2010 By Ewan Turney
Nottinghamshire police are "over-stepping the mark" in threatening to force pubs in Retford and Worksop to serve drinks in polycarbonate glasses on...
Kheng targets licensing reform with online petition
16-Dec-2010 By Gurjit Degun
The boss of a Lincolnshire bar group is urging licensees to write to MPs over the proposed changes to the Licensing Act. Kurnia director Michael...
16-Dec-2010 By Ewan Turney
Two off-licences have had their licences revoked and five others suspended in Thanet, Kent over duty fraud. In total 11 off-licences and convenience...
Labour set to support licensing shake-up
15-Dec-2010 By James Wilmore
Shadow Home Secretary Ed Balls has indicated Labour will support police and councils getting "extra powers" as part of the licensing regime shake-up....
14-Dec-2010 By Ewan Turney
Large late-night clubs and bars will be forced to fork out up to £4,400 a year to help pay for policing under the new late night levy. The...
Legal Review of the Year: So much for a light touch...
13-Dec-2010
There are not many positives to report, following a year that saw the introduction of yet more red tape. Over the past 12 months the tide has well...
10-Dec-2010 By Lesley Foottit
A local authority has been ordered to pay record costs of almost £25,000 after wrongly revoking the licence of a Welsh nightclub. The premises...
09-Dec-2010 By John Harrington
The Government's overhaul of licensing could cost the industry up to £1m — per week. The startling costs are outlined in a report from the Home Office this week — as trade chiefs savage the proposals that they say will add massive burdens to pu
09-Dec-2010 By John Harrington
Industry chiefs have vowed to continue lobbying as details of the controversial plans for licensing are thrashed out. The Government wants to get...
06-Dec-2010 By Lesley Foottit
The Scottish Beer and Pub Association (SBPA) has accused Glasgow's licensing board of "profiteering" from the pub industry.
FLVA fears licensing reform could hurt well run pubs
06-Dec-2010 By Matt Eley Matt
Well run pubs could be hit by the government's licensing reform plans according to trade group the Federation of Licensed Multiple Retailers (FLVA)....
03-Dec-2010 By Ewan Turney
The Security Industry Authority (SIA), which licences doorstaff, has written to all licence holders to clarify Government plans to phase the body out.
03-Dec-2010 By John Harrington
A Brighton pub company boss has devised a plan for a licensee-led scheme to stave off the threat of the late night levy.
Employment Law: Beware of festive frolics
02-Dec-2010
Now we are entering the party season, despite tight social committee budgets reflecting the recession, we can all start to look forward to the...
30-Nov-2010 By Lesley Foottit
Police in Derby are calling for a block on any more "vertical drinking" venues because of an increase in alcohol-related disorder.
30-Nov-2010 By Tony Halstead
A Blackpool town centre pub has had its licence suspended for eight weeks after failing three underage test purchases. The Tapas Bar in Queen Street...
29-Nov-2010 By John Harrington
The Greek broadcaster behind Novasports has warned it will pull the plug on screenings of Premier League football via its systems in UK pubs....
Chris Maclean: Lack of opportunities means new licensees are ill-prepared
25-Nov-2010 By Chris Maclean
It staggers me how many licensees are taking on pubs with absolutely no experience whatsoever. I'm astonished that people, who have never worked...
Licensing Law: Hours of confusion guaranteed
25-Nov-2010
The existence of separate licensing and planning regimes causes frequent confusion amongst both publicans and statutory authorities alike, given that...
Pub denied licence over noisy customers
25-Nov-2010 By James Wilmore
A frustrated licensee is hoping to mobilise support from his locals to get his pub's licence back after it was refused due to noisy smokers. Sean...
Licensing reform - the word on the street
24-Nov-2010
Operators and practitioners alike are still anxiously awaiting the publication by the government of its proposals for licensing reform, following the...
18-Nov-2010 By John Harrington
Home Office minister James Brokenshire says the Government plans to be flexible when applying discounts for the late-night levy — and promised that...
18-Nov-2010 By James Brokenshire
James Brokenshire offered glowing praise of pub industry schemes that target alcohol-related problems when he spoke at RDR last week.
Glasgow to restrict - but not ban - new openings
12-Nov-2010
New pub openings in Glasgow will be severely restricted but licensing chiefs in the city have vowed not to impose an outright ban on new venues. It...
Scots off-trade hit with promotions ban
11-Nov-2010 By James Wilmore
Scottish supermarkets and off-licences will be banned from offering "irresponsible" promotions on alcohol from next spring. A host of radical new...
