Statement of Licensing Policy (2008) WCC - Westminster City Council

1.4 The policies are intended to strike a reasonable balance between different andsometimes competing aims. The introduction to revised Guidance identifi es theimportance of a range of aims including: widening the choice and appeal of licensedpremises, and the development of culture and the protection of local residents. Thecouncil has shaped its policies very much in line with these aims. It gives high priorityto the development of greater diversity in the types of entertainment and culturalactivity on offer and in the age groups attracted to them, and also to its long standingpolicies of increasing the resident population of the city and ensuring that it enjoysa good quality of life. By doing this it furthers the licensing objectives of preventionof crime and disorder and public nuisance. The council wishes to discouragedrunkenness and to encourage the provision of more seating in premises which servealcohol for people to sit and enjoy a drink and order food by table service, in place ofopen bar space which caters for high volume vertical drinking as referred to in revisedGuidance (paragraph 10.41-10.43). It is a key feature of the Statement of LicensingPolicy that its policies are intended to encourage change in the composition ofWestminster’s night-time economy so it is more widely based and less dominated byalcohol led premises, and thus promote the licensing objectives.1.5 The council, acting as the Licensing Authority, has discretion on whether to grantapplications for licences (see Appendix 2) and to impose conditions on granting andreviewing licences, only when representations relevant to the licensing objectivesare made by “interested parties” (local residents and businesses) or by “responsibleauthorities“ (see Glossary). Where no relevant representations are received it is theduty of the Licensing Authority to grant a licence subject to conditions consistent withthe operating schedule and the mandatory conditions under the Licensing Act 2003.See revised Guidance (paragraph 1.14). This Licensing Policy generally refl ects thecouncil’s understanding of the concerns of these responsible authorities at the timethis revised Licensing Policy was drawn up. However the responsible authorities arenot bound by this Statement and can make any representations, if concerned overthe effect of the grant of the application on the licensing objectives. The council canadvise potential applicants if activities require licences. Further information can beaccessed on the council’s websitewww.westminster.gov.uk/Business/businessandstreettradinglicences/licensingact13