LGA presses for 'public health' objective in licensing decisions

The Local Government Association is continuing to press for a new ‘public health’ objective to be taken into account when licensing decisions are reached.

The LGA will make the call tonight at a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Alcohol Misuse.

Earlier this month the Association described as “bizarre” the rules that prevent councils from acting on warnings from local health experts.

The LGA said: “Local health experts – under the Police and Social Responsibility Act 2011 – are able to present health-related evidence, such as ambulance call-out data and hospital admissions, to councils ruling on licences.

“However, under government rules councils are forced to ignore this advice when considering applications. This is restricting their ability to fulfil their public health responsibilities and protect communities.”

The move is part of the LGA’s Rewiring Licensing campaign, which was launched with a report earlier this month.

Cllr Katie Hall, Chair of the Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: "Councils continue to embrace their public health responsibilities to improve the health of their communities. By shifting this responsibility back to councils, the Government has rightly acknowledged they are best-placed to take local decisions for their residents.

"Local health experts have a vital role to play in advising councils on the potential impacts of an application to open new licensed premises. That makes it even more nonsensical that councils are being forced to ignore their advice when considering additional licences they know could be a health hazard.”