Personal licence renewals abolished from 1 April
The announcement brings to an end a year of uncertainty, after the Government said it would abolish the need to renew personal licences but until today failed to provide any clarity on when this would come into force.
The confirmation comes after the Commencement Order for the Deregulation Act 2015, which includes the change in legislation for personal licences, was today laid before Parliament following the Bill receiving Royal Assent yesterday.
The requirement to report lost or stolen licences to the police before applying for duplicated will also be abolished, with effect from 26 May 2015.
The legislation also increases the number of temporary events that can be held at a single premises per year from 12 to 15 from 1 January 2016.
Jonathan Smith, managing partner at licensing law firm Poppleston Allen, said: “I am sure the trade welcomes this long overdue change which has been on the cards for over a year now but which has been delayed by Parliamentary process. At least the trade has some certainty at long last.”
View the revised guidance on personal licences here, from p17.
