Press Release
Cautious welcome for proposed changes to the Licensing Act 2003
06 July 2006
ACRE welcomes the Government‘s proposals, announced in a statement yesterday by Shaun Woodward, Minister of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which aim to overcome difficulties in the way the Licensing Act 2003 applied to village and community halls. The proposal is to remove the requirement for the appointment of a Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) as part of the alcohol licensing requirements for village and other similar community halls.
Deborah Clarke, ACRE’s Village Hall Information Officer stated, “We are pleased that the Government has recognised the onerous burden placed on volunteer village hall management committees in appointing a Designated Premises Supervisor, who has to undertake a recognised training course to become a Personal Licence Holder. This resulted in many halls seeking to use the alternative of Temporary Events Notices to allow alcohol sales at individual events. However, only 12 such notices were allowable each year and there were concerns that the new Licensing Act would restrict activity within village and community halls.”
ACRE and its network of Rural Community Councils has worked over the past three years to support village hall management committees in complying with the Act and has conducted research on its impact, the value of which was acknowledged in the Minister’s statement. ACRE has welcomed the closer liaison with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport in working to overcome the problems highlighted.
ACRE had argued strongly for an increase in the limits on the number of Temporary Events Notices allowed. However, the Government’s alternative proposal offers a new system for ensuring that activities continue to operate without the need for the same level of controls as clubs and pubs in urban areas. This relieves a significant burden from those hall management committees who are struggling to comply with the Act. ACRE will continue to work with the Department of Culture Media and Sport in developing these proposals which will need to undergo a full consultation process, but which appear to solve many of the issues we have raised.
“Together with the village hall advisers in our network of Rural Community Councils, we will also ensure that village hall management committees fully understand the proposals and recognise the long term benefits”, stated Deborah Clarke. “Until the new regime is in place, during 2007, halls will have to continue to operate within the limits of the current system of Temporary Event Notices for the sale of alcohol.”
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