Council looks back at the licensing success against the odds

South Norfolk Council has now completed the internal processing of the 375 applications for premises licences it received under the new Licensing Act.

Of these, 225, or 60%, have sought and received approval for the terms of their current licence to be continued without any variations or changes. That means there will be no change in the operating hours of nearly two-thirds of licensed premises in the district.

A further nine were for new licences - but no objections were received and they were granted.

The remaining 141 applications were for changes to the existing licence, most commonly to extend opening hours.

Of these, there were no objections from local residents, the police or the fire service to 98 of them and they could be approved without reference to the council's Licensing Committee.

One of these was the only example of an application for 24-hour opening - and it came from a supermarket.

In all, 43 applications were scheduled to be considered by Councillors. In seven cases, negotiations between the objectors and the applicants before the Licensing Committee hearing lead to the objections being withdrawn.

The Committee was required to conduct public hearings into 36 cases. All except one included an application to supply alcohol and nearly all of them also sought permission for various kinds of entertainment.

Councillor Peter Smith, chairman of the Licensing Committee said:

"While we were under considerable pressure to grant what the applicants had requested, we listened carefully to what local residents, the police, Fire Service and what other interested parties had to say and after careful consideration, we amended the application accordingly."

Councillor Philip Waltham, who leads for the council on better health and safer communities said:

"This is a case of congratulations to the licensing team including all the elected councillors who underwent very thorough training to achieve committee status in time for the onrush of applications. South Norfolk Council may be justly proud of its efficient and successful handling of the change in licensing rules.

"I would also like to express appreciation and thanks for the excellent work of the Environment Services team who carried out the vital and necessary research and provided essential information for the applications to go before the committee. It was hard work, and very well done."

Councillor Richard Carden, former Leader of the Council and a member of the Licensing Committee underlined the public accountability of the committee's work:

"We took careful account of the views of objectors whether they attended the meeting in person or not.

"Ten of the 35 applications were granted without any reduction in opening hours but in nearly every case some conditions were imposed, typically to improve safety or reduce the potential nuisance to neighbours.

"Examples included requirements to install a noise-limiting device for amplified music or setting a maximum number of specified events per month or year.

"Similar conditions were attached to most of the applications where the committee decided to reduce the hours of opening. In 21 cases, we cut the opening hours for the sale of alcohol from those requested and for 19 applications, the public entertainment hours were reduced."

He concluded:

"Given the deadline pressures we were under, the difficulties posed by the way the Government forced us to handle the process and the widespread alarm over the fact that many premises were leaving it late to apply for licences - this was a job well done."

Both applicants and objectors can appeal against Committee decisions to the Magistrates Court. So far, only one decision has been challenged in this way but this has since been resolved through negotiation and no hearing will be required.

One big difference between the new licensing regime and the old is that premises licences are issued on a permanent basis rather than requiring renewal after a fixed period.

And there is now a facility for the Council as licensing authority to modify the licence, for example by reducing opening hours, at any time following a formal review process.

If problems arise with the operation of any premises and complaints are made by the police or local residents it is open to the Council to carry out a review.

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