ALL THINGS LICENSING
hospitality really struggling in the financial climate at the moment, with numbers of pubs and nightclubs in towns and cities closing. This is also relevant to the taxi and private hire trade as less customers on a night out will also impact the fares available.
PHTM readers may have seen on BBC News that pubs could stay open longer under licensing reforms:
https://shorturl.at/JHaDV
The government is looking at making changes to the licensing act following an industry led taskforce review which reported back in the summer: Licensing taskforce report: government response:
https://shorturl.at/GapAK
Earlier in October, the government announced a call for evidence:
https://shorturl.at/LmeId which proposes a number of changes, most notably:
l a potential national policy framework (similar to planning) for licensing
l higher evidential thresholds for reviews and representations
l the introduction of a fifth licensing objective of promoting economic growth
l protection of premises from noise complaints via the agent of change principle
l an amnesty on outdated conditions, making it easier to obtain a pavement licence
l removal of the requirement to advertise in newspapers
l increases to temporary event notices which align with the taskforce recommendations.
Dealing with the licensed trade as I do, I know that there are some members of the taxi and private hire trade who also have other businesses in the alcohol and entertainment sector and consequently this consultation will be relevant to them.
Additionally, it is clear that there are some areas of PHTM NOVEMBER 2025
This call for evidence has a very short window of opportunity, closing at midday on 6 November.
The second call for evidence relates to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill: and pertinently the creation of a new licensing system for products. Unlike the Licensing Act call, this is very much creating a new regime from scratch. The government has indicated a two-tier approach separating a personal licence for individuals from a premises licence for retail locations, aimed at ensuring that only responsible retailers and staff can sell relevant products.
Licensing authorities would administer appli- cations, renewals, suspensions and revocations and could attach conditions to licences. Penalties for unlicensed selling or breaches of licence conditions could include fixed penalties and higher fines through the courts. The licensing model is intended to deter rogue traders, support legitimate businesses that comply with rules, and provide a clearer enforcement route for local authorities.
The call for evidence is at:
https://shorturl.at/gFno1 and is open until the end of the day on 3 December.
With the taxi and private hire trade and local licensing functions poised for change this is a critical time to ensure that everyone involved in the trade is informed so I would very much extend the invitation to
attend the IoL National
Conference to all PHTMreaders. For full details please visit:
www.instituteoflicensing.org 67
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