Licensing easements introduced to help businesses during the pandemic could be made permanent, the government has announced.
The Business and Planning Act 2020 provided regulatory easements which enabled on-sales premises licence holders to automatically additionally do off-sales, without any need to amend their licence. When pubs and restaurants were initially closed because of the pandemic, they were able to sell alcohol for take-away.
Once premises were able to re-open, this additionally automatically enabled them to serve alcohol in the area covered by any pavement licence that they had.
A consultation is now under way seeking comments on whether these easements should be made permanent.
“The measures have allowed our pubs to innovate, diversify, and offer more to their customers, from offering takeaway options to hosting events and activities,” said Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association. “And after years of lockdowns and ongoing economic pressure, this can provide a much-needed positive boost for the sector.
“Previous extensions suggest the government has seen the benefits to business, and with over two years with little to no issue, we hope they will once again recognise the added value they bring to our sector by making them permanent with no additional cost, helping our industry to invest and grow.”
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, added: “I’m pleased that the government is consulting on measures like this to start removing red tape from the licensing regime, which can be such a burden for businesses.
“I hope this is just the start, and that regulation ripe for change is looked at as a priority, in particular removing the costly and outdated requirement to advertise licensing applications in local newspapers.”
