Licensing Act 2003
The Licensing Act 2003 Gives responsibility for the Licensing of Alcohol sales and Regulated Entertainment to the Borough Council
You may have heard in the press and media that the Licensing Act 2003 (“the Act”) will see the largest change in the country’s licensing laws for a generation. What the Act essentially does is combine six licensing regimes (Alcohol, Public Entertainment, Cinemas, Theatre, Late Night Café and Late Night Refreshment) in to one.
The licensable activities that can be applied for under the Licensing Act 2003 are as follows:
Provision of regulated entertainment
- Plays
- Films
- Indoor sporting events
- Boxing or Wrestling entertainment
- Live music
- Recorded music
- Performances of dance
- Anything of a similar description to that of live music, recorded music and performance of dance
Provision of entertainment facilities for
- Making music
- Dancing
- Entertainment of a similar description to making music or dancing
Provision of late night refreshment Supply of alcohol
- Sale of alcohol by retail
- Supply of alcohol in club premises
The act became law on 24th November 2005 seeks to promote the following licensing objectives:
- the prevention of crime and disorder;
- public safety;
- the prevention of public nuisance; and
- the protection of children from harm.
Types of licence
- A personal licence
- A personal licence is granted to an individual, which permits the sale of alcohol in conjunction with a premise licence. Hertsmere Borough Council issues a personal licence if you are an ordinary resident of the Hertsmere district.
- Premise licence
- A licence which applies to the premises that permits one or more of the licensable activities. Hertsmere Borough Council issues premise licences to all premises within the Hertsmere district.
Licensing policy
You can download the original Licensing Policy 
here.
IMPORTANT: please use the responsible authority details below and not the details in the licensing policy as contact details have changed since the policy was written.
You can download the Licensing Policy 1st Review Document here
Resposible Authoritys
| Des Michael Police Licensing Officer for Hertsmere Borehamwood Police Station Elstree Way Borehamwood Herts 0845 3300222 Ext 6625 | District Fire Safety Manage Community Fire Safety Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue 121 Mutton Lane Potters Bar Herts EN6 2HD 01707 346150 |
| Angela Hicks Local Safeguarding Childrens Board Room 173 County Hall Pegs Lane Hertsford Herts. SG13 8DF | Principal EHO (Environmental Protection) Environmental Health Hertsmere Borough Council Civic Offices Elstree Way Borehamwood Herts WD6 1WA 020 8207 2277 |
| Trading Standards Hertfordshire County Council 45 Grosvenor Road St Albans Herts AL1 3AW | Principal EHO (Health & Safety) Environmental Health Hertsmere Borough Council Civic Offices Elstree Way Borehamwood Herts WD6 1WA 020 8207 2277 |
| Head of Planning Planning Department Hertsmere Borough Council Civic Offices Elstree Way Borehamwood Herts WD6 1WA 020 8207 2277 |
Section 5 of the Licensing Act 2003 requires Hertsmere Borough Council, as Licensing Authority, to prepare and publish a statement of its licensing policy.
This licensing policy seeks to promote the following objectives:
- the prevention of crime and disorder;
- public safety;
- the prevention of public nuisance; and
- the protection of children from harm.
In addition to the licensing objectives the Licensing Authority must also consider crime and disorder under duties imposed by Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.
Each of the objectives carries equal weight and every application received by the Licensing Authority will be judged on its own merits. Only the licensing objectives will be taken into consideration when determining such applications.
It is the view of the Licensing Authority that the key to delivering the licensing objectives is partnership working. Co-operation and partnership working between the Borough Council, the police, fire authority, local businesses and residents, whilst not a solution for all community problems, remain the best means of promoting the licensing objectives.
Further information on the Act from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport here:
- Licensing Act 2003 (External link)