Objections
A person may object to the grant of a licence only if he or she has a greater interest in the application for it than the public generally. You would be considered to have a greater interest if you lived close to the proposed premises, operated a business or organisation close to the premises, or had some other close connection with the proposed premises.
An objection must be in writing and be received by the District Licensing Committee (DLC) within 15 working days after the first publication of the public notice. Public Notices of alcohol licence applications are listed in the Public Notices section. A notice is also displayed on the premises or website.
An objection can only be made in relation to the matters listed in section 105 of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 for new licences, or section 132 and section 120 of the Act for renewals.
When considering the impact of a licence application on the amenity and good order of the locality, the committee will have regard to current and possible future noise levels, nuisance and vandalism, and the number of premises for which licences of the same kind are already held. For new applications the committee will also consider the compatibility of the purposes for which land near the premises concerned is used, and the purposes for which those premises will be used if the licence is issued.
Anonymous objections cannot be accepted as valid. We need to identify the person objecting so we can establish whether they have a greater interest than the public generally and therefore whether it is a valid objection.
A copy of any objections received are given to the applicant. Sometimes the applicant will offer to make changes to appease the objectors, such as reducing hours or changing aspects of the business. If this occurs, objectors will be contacted to see if they agree to the changes and wish to withdraw their objection, or if they wish to continue to object. If no agreement is reached and the application continues to be objected, it will go to a public hearing.
The District Licensing Committee of three members will hear the matter. The objectors and the applicants will be invited to attend and state their case, and the Committee will then deliberate and decide whether to grant or decline the application, or what conditions should be imposed on the licence.
