Jeremy Phillips considers the concept of public safety in licensing reviews, the relevance of representations against a grant, and a proposal to hold extra concerts at the Emirates Stadium
We all know that ‘public safety’ is one ?of the four objectives dictating every licensing authority decision under the Licensing Act 2003, but exactly how far does that concept extend? A case presently before the courts may yet provide some guidance.
Briefly, in review proceedings before a licensing sub-committee, it was conceded that the premises in question had in the past experienced serious issues in relation to food safety, including suffering from a rat infestation. A number of other issues ?arose in relation to food hygiene. Despite the protestations of the licensees, the committee held that the concept of public safety could include matters such as food safety, even though it might more usually be invoked in r...
