The Licensing Act 2003 Statement Of Licensing Policy January 2021

Certain statutory bodies, known as responsible authorities, can make representations regarding applications for premises licences, club premises certificates and full variation applications. Responsible authorities should be notified of these applications and it is for them to decide if they have appropriate grounds for submitting a representation. The responsible authorities include the Police, Fire Brigade, Environmental Health, Trading Standards, Public Health, Planning and Child Protection Units. Contact details for the responsible authorities for Stockton-on-Tees can be found in Appendix 3.

In their role as a responsible authority, the Police are an essential source of advice and information on the impact of any licensable activity, particularly on the crime and disorder objective. However the Police may also make relevant representations with regard to other licensing objectives when they have the evidence to do so.

Similarly Environmental Health are an essential source of advice and information with regard to the public nuisance objective, whilst the role of Public Health is to promote the health and wellbeing of local communities and representations from Public Health will look to reflect this role in reviewing what measures are included within an application that may help in tackling alcohol related health harms and misuse. This will be done through consideration of the four licensing objectives and how each objective impacts on public health measures. Should a representation be made by the Director of Public Health, it will look to focus on these issues, setting out the evidence or information specific to the area in which the premises is located and whether the application has the potential to impact on these further.

The licensing authority is also a responsible authority in its own right. Whilst the licensing authority, unlike other responsible authorities, may not be regarded as having expertise in a particular field, it will have an overview of matters pertaining to an application and may make representations on this basis e.g. where an application seeks to depart from specific policy requirements that the licensing authority has adopted.