Government alcohol licensing changes spark fears that the public will be kept in the dark

The government is consulting on plans to scrap the need to promote alcohol licences — prompting fears that residents will be kept out of the loop for changes in their area.

Plans to scrap laws requiring alcohol licensing notices and changes to local authority governance arrangements to be published in printed local newspapers - including those that power LincsOnline - amount to a direct attack on the public right to know, the local news media sector has said today (Monday, October 13).

As ministers launch a consultation on licensing reform, which includes a proposal to remove the statutory requirement for alcohol licensing notices to be advertised in print local papers, industry leaders have warned that the plans would shroud local communities in secrecy. Among the newspapers affected are LincsOnline’s Rutland & Stamford Mercury - Britain’s oldest continuously published newspaper, the Lincolnshire Free Press and Spalding Guardian, and the Grantham Journal.

There’s also concern that this could lead to cutting the rules on other licensing matters — a particular problem in Lincolnshire where shops and off licenses have been raided after selling counterfeit products. Never has scrutiny over who has a license and what for been more under the spotlight in the county, making steps to reduce scrutiny a major concern.

In recent times there have also been concerns about the gambling licenses in towns that have little or no support for addicts and planning matters being passed with no public scrutiny.

If enacted, the proposal in the current consultation — launched on October 9 by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Business Secretary Peter Kyle — would mean that plans to open a new pub or nightclub, or for an existing venue to change its opening hours, would no longer be publicised within local communities.

The government’s Licensing Taskforce - which made the initial recommendation to scrap alcohol licensing notices in local papers - was set up to review the Licensing Act 2003 which applies to England and Wales.

The taskforce was overwhelmingly made up of representatives from the hospitality and night-time industries, with media not represented on the group.

At the same time as the licensing reforms, a provision in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill would remove the legal requirement for notices publicising changes to local authority governance arrangements to be published in local papers.

This would strip communities of the right to know about sweeping changes to local councils - just as the government embarks upon the most dramatic reform of local government in 50 years.

News Media Association chairman Danny Cammiade said: “Local news media in print and digital provide a highly trusted and independent environment for public notices to appear in, with local journalists often reporting on the content of the notices.

“Developed with funding and expertise from Google, the industry’s Public Notice Portal has increased the reach of public notices online, with the print requirement remaining essential for ensuring those who cannot, or prefer not to, use digital technology can access the notices.

“Removing alcohol licensing notices from local papers would undermine this work and leave local communities shrouded in secrecy. Ministers must change course and abandon this misguided plan.”

A House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee report on digital exclusion warned that around 10.2 million adults (20 per cent) are unable to complete all eight of the foundation tasks needed to set someone up for using the online world.

And independent research from OnePoll shows that local news media remains the primary source used by the public to access public notices, ahead of other sources such as social media, local authority websites, search engines, and printed mailouts.

NMA chief executive Owen Meredith said: “Pubs and local papers go hand in hand. They are community hubs, rooted in place, fostering connection, and acting as a glue that binds neighbourhoods together.

“Yet the government’s misguided proposals for secret alcohol licensing notices would damage local community cohesion by making decisions around hospitality venues less transparent, ultimately harming both pubs and local papers.”