Highland Licensing Board consults on liquor licensing policy statement

The Highland Licensing Board has begun consultation on its next Statement of Licensing Policy for the period November 2023 to November 2028.

The aim of the Policy Statement is to promote consistency in decision-making on all types of liquor licence applications and to give applicants advance notice of the Board’s likely approach to determining licence applications.

The Statement will set out the Board’s policies on all aspects of liquor licensing.These will include policies on the opening hours the Board is likely to grant for different types of premises (pubs, restaurants, nightclubs, etc).  The Statement will also confirm whether the Board considers there is overprovision of any type of licensed premises anywhere in Highland and, if so, what types of new premises or variations to existing licences the Board is likely to refuse as a result.

A decision on the final terms of the Policy Statement will be taken by the Board in October this year.  Before making that decision, however, the Board would like to hear your views on its “Consultation Draft Policy Statement 2023-28” which sets out proposed policies, and your ideas for any additional or different policies you think should be included.

The Consultation Draft can be viewed at:

https://www.highland.gov.uk/info/1126/licences_-_alcohol/729/licensing_meetings_and_policies/5

Consultation responses should be submitted using the online Consultation Response Form which can be found at this link.