The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has expressed doubts over Government plans to deregulate the licensing of live music, which a campaign group also fears won’t mean less red tape for pubs.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has received praise for its plan to exempt regulated entertainment, including live music and other performances such as theatre and dance, from licensing requirements, as long as audiences are under 5,000.
However, an ACPO spokesman indicated that this figure is not popular among senior police, saying: “We have not proposed an audience limit, every event is different and audience numbers are only a part of the risk assessment.
“We hope these issues can be considered as part of the consultation.”
The spokesman said the police service is “supportive of deregulation in principle” but “recognises the need to work with Government to ensure that public safety aspects are fully understood and addressed”.
“These include issues like traffic management and the impact of events on local communities.”
Meanwhile, a vocal campaign group, the Welwyn Hatfield Live Music Forum, fears the DCMS plan will mean “no reduction in licensing costs for live music”, more red tape for pubs and greater powers for local authorities to veto events.
The group highlights a section of the DCMS consultation that says existing premises licence conditions relating to regulated entertainment are retained.
The conditions can vary from restrictions on the number of events over a certain period, bans of amplification, requirements to leaflet residents before events and even restrictions on the lyrical content of songs.
“Licensing authorities will continue to use the previous Government’s comprehensive definition of regulated entertainment that includes pretty much everything from carol singers to reciting poetry,” the campaign group said.
The Forum also pointed out that under separate legislation, councils will have greater powers to restrict live music.
The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill proposes giving local authorities powers to object to temporary events notices (TENs) and impose more restrictions on events held under a TEN.
The Forum said: “If licence conditions are retained, we are looking at more red tape for existing live music venues, more powers for local authorities to restrict or ban one-off events, and – unless there is a sudden and massive enthusiasm for live music in currently licensed venues – we are looking at a possible decrease in live music.
“We are deeply concerned at DCMS’ proposal to retain entertainment licence restrictions.”
The group urged the Government to give “genuine” support to the Live Music Bill from Liberal Democrat Lord Clement-Jones, which calls for a return to the two-in-a-bar rule and grant licence exemptions for venues with a capacity under 200 - the DCMS has said it supports the Bill.
