What happens at a Licensing Board meeting
The clerk will call each item in the order shown on the agenda.
During the meeting all mobile phones must be switched to silent mode, or off, once the meeting has started.
Who speaks
For new licence applications, the Board may hear from:
- Licensing Standards Officer
- people who made valid objections or representations
- applicant or their agent
For a review, it may hear from:
- the person who requested the review or their agent
- Licensing Standards Officer
- licence holder or their agent
If you are invited to speak at the meeting, you may be given a set amount of time to make your points. The same time limit applies to everyone taking part in the meeting.
If you are objecting to an application
If you are objecting to an application, representing someone or any person making a review application, then you must stick to the terms of your submission and not introduce new material.
The applicant or licence holder and/or their agent will speak in support of their application and may respond to the points raised so far from objectors or representors, applicants for a review and the Licensing Standards Officer. Board members may ask questions of all of the parties, throughout.
All parties (other than the Licensing Standards Officer) will be given the opportunity to sum up and make final submissions.
Once everyone has had the opportunity to speak and answer questions, the Board will consider the information it has heard. No new information can be introduced at this stage.
The decision
The Board is entitled to adjourn the meeting to seek legal advice privately. They will not form any decision during an adjournment.
In many cases decisions are made without an adjournment. Sometimes a vote is held by the Board members where they are unable to reach a unanimous decision.
The Board may make a decision at the meeting or adjourn the case to another date.
You can ask for a written statement of reasons which will give the formal reason(s) for the decision. This is written by a clerk (a solicitor).
Once a decision has been made you can leave the meeting and you will be formally notified by the Licensing office of the decision within 7 days.
Recording of Licensing Board Meetings
Licensing Board meetings are recorded to help produce an accurate record of proceedings and for legal and administrative purposes.
Recordings are not published for public viewing. They are normally kept for 12 months, or longer where required for an appeal, complaint or other legal processes.
Go to our privacy information for more about how personal information is handled.