Alcohol and entertainment

Licensing in England and Wales

Licensing Act 2003

The Licensing Act 2003 (LA 2003) consolidated the regulation licensing of alcohol and entertainment. It moved authorisation of licensing applications from the magistrates’ court to local authorities.

Responsibility for the grant and review of premises licences lies with the relevant licensing authority, which is the local authority for the relevant area. Each licensing authority must establish a licensing committee consisting of at least 10, but not more than 15, members of the authority. Certain functions may be delegated. See also Practice Note: Licensing committees and the relevant paragraphs in the Revised guidance issued under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2013 entitled ‘Administration, exercise and delegation of functions’ (para 14.69), which includes a table setting out a recommended scheme of delegation

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Local Government weekly highlights—30 October 2025

This week’s edition of Local Government weekly highlights includes coverage of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust v Revenue and Customs Commissioners, in which the Supreme Court allowed an HMRC appeal, finding VAT chargeable on NHS Trust carparking services and case analysis of R (SK) v Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in which the Court rejected the interim order requiring the LA to provide accommodation within 20 minutes travel of hospital due to tragic circumstances and Save Greater Manchester Green Belt Ltd v SSHCLG, confirming that the ‘exceptional circumstances’ test for Green Belt changes is a matter of planning judgment; expert analysis of the publication of Homes for London: A package of support for housebuilding in the capital by the government and Mayor of London and on the government announcement of a consultation on proposed reforms to the Local Government Pension Scheme; case reports on R (Gloria Elsy Rodriguez Robles) v Lewisham LBC, in which the Court upheld the LA’s housing allocation policy for overcrowded households; R (SAG) v Governing Body of Winchmore School, allowing an appeal against the dismissal of a JR claim challenging a school’s GDC decision to uphold a pupil’s permanent exclusion; S v Islington LBC, in which the Court rejected an application to prevent the LA from infant vaccination, rejecting the Article 8 challenge under ChA 1989; and Sidley Medical Practice v CQC, in which the FTT confirmed the suspension of a healthcare provider over regulatory breaches. It includes coverage of the commencement of the first phase of Awaab’s Law and MHCLG’s confirmation of local government reorganisation in Surrey subject to Parliamentary approval. It includes further updates on Healthcare, Social housing, Pensions, Education, Children’s social care, Social care, Public procurement, Governance, Planning, Licensing and Local government finance.

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