Licensing Act 2003 - policy

Policy summary

The Licensing Act 2003 requires that we publish a 'statement of licensing policy' (every five years) that sets out our approach to how we will promote the four licensing objectives when making decisions under the Act. The current policy was published in December 2020.

The licensing objectives

The four licensing objectives are:

  • The prevention of crime and disorder
  • Public safety
  • The prevention of public nuisance
  • The protection of children from harm

Equal weight is given to all four licensing objectives and the policy seeks to secure the promotion of those licensing objectives throughout the licensing process.

How was the policy revised?

The policy was reviewed regarding its application, suitability and effectiveness since the implementation of the Act in 2005. It has worked well in the past and has provided a basis for the consideration and determination of less contentious applications. Because of the number of amendments to the Licensing Act 2003 by other acts of parliament and licensing regulatory orders, the policy was revised to bring it up to date.

As part of this process, an equality impact assessment (EIA) was created to ensure that the policy does not discriminate against any disadvantaged or vulnerable people. If you would like a copy of the EIA 2020 contact Licensing: Licensing contact form

Who was consulted?

 The list of statutory consultees that were consulted are below:

  • The Chief Officer of Police
  • The fire and rescue authority
  • The local council's Director of Public Health
  • Persons/bodies representative of premises licence holders
  • Persons/bodies representative of club premises certificate holders
  • Persons/bodies representative of personal licence holders
  • Persons/bodies representative of businesses and residents in its area

How can I get a copy of the policy?

Download our Statement of licensing policy 2020 (PDF)

Last updated: ‎19‎/‎03‎/‎2024‎ ‎14‎:‎00‎