Licensing Act 2003 - Statement of Licensing

The Statement of Licensing Policy sets out the council's policy as the licensing authority under the Licensing Act 2003 ('the Act').

The Licensing Policy relates to the 'licensable activities' defined in Section 1 of the Act, which are the:

• Sale by retail of alcohol
• Supply of alcohol by or on behalf of a club to, or to the order of, a member of the club
• Provision of regulated entertainment
• Provision of late night refreshment

The policy will promote the four licensing objectives described in section 4(2) of the Act:

• The prevention of crime and disorder
• Public safety
• The prevention of public nuisance
• The protection of children from harm

Each objective has equal importance.

The council works closely with the police, the fire and rescue service, Sunderland Safeguarding Children Partnership, local businesses, community representatives and local people, in order to meet these objectives.

Due to the significant impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic, it was not possible to undertake a comprehensive review of the Statement of Licensing Policy that applied for the period to 6 January 2021. In view of these difficult circumstances, the Council decided that following a consultation exercise the existing Statement of Licensing Policy be rolled forward as from and including from 7 January 2021 to 6 January 2026, with a review of the Licensing Policy being undertaken as and when deemed appropriate to do so within the stated five year period.