Find out more about the licensing objectives established by the Licensing Act 2003, what they are and their significance.
Licensing authorities must carry out their duties with a view to promoting four licensing objectives. These are:
The prevention of crime and disorder
Ensuring public safety
The prevention of public nuisance
The protection of children from harm
These objectives underpin the Act and have to be taken into account when the authority is carrying out its functions.
The objectives aim to ensure that everybody involved in the licensing regime is focused on common goals. It is important to get a fair balance of the rights of businesses to trade with the rights of communities not to be unduly affected by licensable activities.
As such, a licensing authority may only restrict licensable activities where these factors are involved for example parking is not a licensing objective and cannot be taken into account. Each objective is of equal importance.
Applications must include an operating schedule that outlines steps to be taken to promote the licensing objectives. These steps will become the conditions of the licence for example a premises may say that they will install CCTV and that installation will be a condition of the licence.
Representations and requests for a review of licences must also relate to the promotion of the licensing objectives.
