094/06
5 July 2006
Change to Licensing System Proposed for Village Halls- Woodward
Village halls and other community venues may no longer have to name a single person to be in charge of their premises licence - instead the responsibility would fall to the whole management committee, Licensing Minister Shaun Woodward announced today.
Under new licensing laws, every application for a licence to sell alcohol must name a designated premises supervisor who is responsible for licensable activities at the premises. That person must hold a personal licence and complete a training course.
After concerns from community groups and others about bureaucracy and costs, Mr Woodward announced that the Government would, subject to public consultation, seek to remove this requirement. Village halls and community venues would then be akin to private members' clubs, where the whole committee takes responsibility for the licence.
The Government also announced today that it would not extend the number of temporary event notices (TENs) – a light-touch temporary licensing system that allows people to carry out licensable activities without applying for a full licence – beyond the current annual cap of 12 for unlicensed venues.
Mr Woodward stressed that the limit was being kept to protect local residents from noise nuisance and disturbance. Residents groups and the Local Government Association have both asked for the cap to be kept in place and for additional controls to be put in place.
Mr Woodward said:
"Village and community halls are at the heart of many of our communities and we will do what we can to help them thrive, while ensuring the rights of local residents and others are also protected.
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"For example, community representatives have told us that volunteers are unwilling to take on the responsibility of being the designated premises supervisor, which then makes it difficult for them to apply for a licence to sell alcohol. We've listened and now propose, subject to public consultation, to remove this requirement for village halls and other community venues. I hope this would encourage more of them to apply for a full licence in the future.
"After very careful consideration we have decided not to change the current limit on TENs for unlicensed premises. It's there to protect local residents from noise nuisance and disturbance and we have to balance their concerns with the desire of village halls to put on licensable activities.
"People can, of course, choose to apply for a full licence at any time. But importantly this enables local residents and others to have a say on the application, meaning their concerns are fully considered. They don't have this right under a TEN application, which is why a limit is appropriate."
Rural Affairs Minister, Barry Gardiner, said:
"Village halls play a strong traditional role in rural communities and their management committees put a great deal of effort in to making them work for local people. Volunteers play a very important role in the functioning of their local village halls and I am pleased that their needs have been taken into account. Such a change in licensing requirements would go a long way to helping community organisations provide more services and activities for local people."
Notes to Editors
- TENs allow village halls, schools and clubs to easily apply for, and put on, one off events involving the sale of alcohol and/or public entertainment. Events covered by a TEN can last for up to 96 hours and must involve no more than 499 people. The organiser of the event must submit two copies of the application to the local authority at least 10 days before the event is due to take place. They must also send a copy to the local police. A TEN costs £21. Anyone aged 18 or over can apply for a maximum of five TENs per year. Personal licence holders can apply for a maximum of fifty TENs per year. An unlicensed venue can hold up to 12 TENs per year.
- Only the police can object to an application for a TEN, on the grounds of crime and disorder. With an application for a full licence, local residents and others can object if they are concerned that the application would breach any of the four statutory objectives of the Licensing Act 2003 – prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, prevention of public nuisance and the protection of children from harm.
- The Department for Culture, Media and Sport held a public consultation on TENs regulations last year. During the consultation, groups including the Civic Trust and the Network of Residents' Associations in English Towns and Cities asked for the cap to remain in place in order to protect local residents and others.
- The removal of the designated premises supervisor requirement for village and community halls would involve a regulatory reform order. The Government would be required to carry out a public consultation in advance.
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