Licensing – guidance on making a representation

A key feature of the licensing process is to allow local communities to have a say in licensing decisions that may affect them. It also ensures that professionals such as the police, fire authorities, trading standards and environmental health officers are able to scrutinise applications and take action if problems occur.

The Licensing Act 2003 allows the views of local people and businesses to be taken into account when someone applies for a licence or certificate to carry out a licensable activity such as selling alcohol, providing regulated entertainment and providing late night refreshment.

In deciding this, licensing authorities may look at whether that party is likely to be affected by the grant of the licence application in respect of those premises.

While licensing authorities may wish to give broad indications of where they consider the vicinity to be, each case must be considered on its own merits.

Interested parties have a number of rights under the Act. If they think granting a new licence or certificate or changing an existing one would undermine any of the licensing objectives, they can make representations to the relevant licensing authority. They can also ask the licensing authority to review a licence or certificate if problems occur which undermine the licensing objectives. The licensing objectives are:

• the prevention of crime and disorder

• public safety

• the prevention of public nuisance

• the protection of children from harm.

You can download further guidance notes below for more information about interested parties.

Documents