Government eyes ending requirement for printed statutory notices for alcohol licences

Removal of the hard-copy local newspaper advertising requirement was one of the Taskforce’s priority recommendations.

In an update to the Government’s response made last week (14 August), the Department of Business and Trade said it had “amended Recommendation 4 in the Licensing Taskforce government response to outline the government’s intention to review the printed statutory notice requirement for alcohol licences, and other statutory notices, as part of the forthcoming Local Media Strategy”.

In the amended response the Department noted the taskforce’s concerns about limited print circulation and concerns about a lack of consistency in the fees being charged across local media outlets.

“We will look at ending the requirement for printed statutory notices for alcohol licenses as part of the licensing call for evidence. We will do this by recognising that our local press still play an important role in informing local communities about what is happening in their area. This work will also inform a review of other statutory notices, as part of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) upcoming Local Media Strategy,” it said.

The Licensing Taskforce’s other recommendations included the introduction of a National Licensing Policy Framework, in order to address a "lack of balance" in applying the Licensing Act 2003.

The report suggested that the framework would reduce the likelihood of costly disputes or judicial reviews, and deliver other "significant cost benefits" for industry and the public purse.

It added that a review of the Licensing Act 2003 was “arguably overdue”.