A lack of government clarity has shrouded the payment of annual premises licence fees in uncertainty, the Morning Advertiser has reported.
Officially, premises licence renewal fees are due by the anniversary of the day on which the original licence was accepted. But because many licence holders applied months before the new regulations came into place, many are now receiving their annual bills, even though their licences will not be posted for several months.
As a result, many local councils are not entirely sure how to deal with the situation; some have complied with current guidance notes while others have stipulated a date later in the year by which fees should be paid, leading to a so-called ‘post code lottery’ for licence renewals.
Licensees and lawmakers are understood to be pushing for a single date by which fees would be due, either in October or the Second Appointed Day (24 November itself, the anniversary of the implementation of the 2003 Licensing Act itself).
Among their number is the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), as well as local government co-ordinator LACORS, which has officially written to the DCMS for guidance, the publication reported.
“More than half of the councils” in contact with LACORS over the issue supported the idea of a single date the organisation claimed.
The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) also supports a single date.
Mark Hastings, director of communications at BBPA, said: “The recommendation for a single day has been made to Government and it’s down to them to implement that. That’s what local authorities and the industry want to see because it brings clarity to the situation.”
The DCMS lent its support to a single date, and has promised a public consultation on the issue. However, it was unable to specify a timescale by which guidelines could be amended.
A spokeswoman urged licensees to continue to pay fees on the anniversary of the date on which their licences were approved.
