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Tuesday, 06 December 2005
MP welcomes successful start ro new licensing regime
Dartford MP, Dr Howard Stoate, has welcomed ‘the successful start’ to the new Council controlled licensing regime in Dartford.

A Council report on the new Licensing Regime, which was considered by Dartford Borough Council’s General Assembly last night, shows that the new system “is working well” and that the national media led scaremongering that surrounded its launch has been “totally unjustified and without foundation” according to the MP.

“The report shows that the new system has not led to the free-for-all which some sections of the national media have been predicting for the last year or so.”

“Not one pub, club or restaurant in Dartford has applied for a 24 hour licence, and only 79 premises of the 266 premises in Dartford that applied to convert their licenses between February and August, applied for a variation in the terms of their existing licences.”

“The report also shows that were there have been objections to applications by premises to change their hours, or other terms of their licence, the Council’s new licensing policy is robust enough to ensure that a proper balance is struck between the rights of the licensed trade and their customers and the rights of the local residents who would be affected by the change,” continued the MP.

According to the report, 36 of the 79 variation applications were opposed, with the Police and the Environmental Health Department being the main objectors. These applicants were given the opportunity to amend their application in the light of these objections and in 24 cases, the amendments put forward were accepted and the licences granted.

The remaining 12 applications received representations from residents as well as the Police and Environmental Health Department and were considered by members of the Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee.

All but one of the hearings resulted in a reduction of closing hours applied for, and additionally included various conditions to be placed on the licenses to prevent crime and disorder and public nuisance, such as not permitting music and/or restricting admission to the premises after a certain hour.

Dr Stoate added: “If anything the new system has strengthened the hand of the local community, as the people who ultimately make the decision about an application to which there has been public opposition, are local councillors who are of course elected by local residents. The new system is therefore more, not less, accountable to local residents and is designed to ensure their views are given full consideration.”

The MP also congratulated the Council’s Licensing Section on the work that they have done in the last year or more in preparing for the new system and putting in place the new arrangements.

“It has been a hectic period for the licensing section, but I think that the officers have done an excellent job, in difficult circumstances, in setting up the new system and processing the hundreds of applications that have been put before them in such a short time span.”

Notes

The Licensing Act 2003, which came into force on 24 November, fundamentally changed the licensing regime, bringing together various types of licensing (Public Entertainment Licensing, Liquor Licensing, late Night Refreshment Houses etc) under a single licensing regime administered by Local Authorities.

The Act abolished Statutory Licensing Hours, limiting hours of opening only by virtue of conditions upon individual licenses, and introduced four statutory licensing objectives:

    Prevention of crime and disorder
    Public Safety
    Prevention of public nuisance
    Protection of children from harm

Between 7 February and 6 August 2005, (the ‘transitional period’ between the Magistrates controlled regime and the Council controlled regime), Dartford Borough Council’s Licensing Section received a total of 266 applications to convert existing Justices Licences, Public Entertainment Licenses, Late Night Refreshment House Licenses and Club Registration Certificates over to Premises Licences under the new Licensing Act 2003. A further 385 applications for Personal Licences were also received, processed and issued.
 
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© 2008 Dr Howard Stoate - Member of Parliament for Dartford
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