Thousands of local people and organisations face bigger
bills and time-wasting bureaucracy if they fail to apply
for new licences soon.
Only
2% of the estimated number of hotels, restaurants, B&Bs,
church and village halls, community centres, theatres, cinemas,
leisure centres, clubs and pubs in the New
Forest who may need to apply for new licences under the Licensing
Act 2003 have done so.
Businesses can apply to convert existing licences
before the deadline of 6th August 2005
through a relatively simple and inexpensive procedure. If
they miss this deadline, however, they face more paperwork,
delays and greater costs and will have to start a new licence
application from scratch.
The
Act is the biggest change to licensing in 300 years. It
means that any premises that either sells liquor or provides
entertainment or hot food/drink after 11pm
must have a new Premises Licence. This would include
premises providing entertainment, such as films or shows
put on by village halls or clubs, though not school fetes,
jumble sales or church fetes.
The
Act also brings into existence a new ‘driving licence’ style
requirement for anyone selling or supplying liquor. The
new Personal Liquor Licence must be held by everyone who
sells or supplies liquor, such as shop owners, barmen and
publicans.
New
Forest District Council has sent letters and information
to over 2,800 people who may be affected, has held workshops
on the new regulations throughout March and April, and has
advertised the new rules in local papers, but the response
rate has been poor.
“This
is a problem all over the country,” said Tony Hetherington,
NFDC’s Licensing Officer. “We estimate
that around 2,000 people in the New Forest
district need Personal Liquor Licences and 800 need Premises
Licences.
“Existing licence holders do not seem to realise
that their existing rights will vanish if they do not apply
to convert to the new licences before the August deadline. It
will be a longer and more costly process if they have to
apply after that date.
“We
are holding our last workshop on the new regulations in the
council chamber at Appletree Court, Lyndhurst,
on Thursday April 21, from 5.30pm to 8pm. I would urge
representatives from as many local businesses and organisations
as possible to come along.”
Further
information is available from Tony Hetherington. Licensing
Officer, on 023 8028 5505 or email tony.hetherington@nfdc.gov.uk |
