The ALMR has used its recent Focus on Enforcement Round Table with the Better Regulation Delivery Office to praise the impact of growth duty in licensing decisions and investigate its use in future planning.
The ALMR is calling for regulators to have regard to economic growth in individual licensing and planning decisions and has argued that the impact needs to be felt on a local level to properly benefit licensed hospitality businesses.
ALMR Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “We have used our meetings with BRDO to underline the usefulness of growth duty in planning decisions and make the case for further measures to encourage businesses in the UK.
“The ALMR has consistently argued that local and licensing authorities should prioritise economic growth when making crucial decisions regarding planning and licensing. Growth duty has been effective in other areas such as gambling and food policies yet it is not always incorporated into local authority policy and, at present, receives minimal enforcement.
“The ALMR has had great success in helping secure the appoint of the Small Business Appeals Champion and the introduction of the Regulator’s Code for non-economic regulators, crucial steps in ensuring a fairer, more flexible market for eating and drinking out businesses. If growth duty is properly and efficiently extended to apply to individual planning and licensing decisions, we will see a tangible difference to the way in which pubs, bars and restaurants are allowed to operate.
ENDS
Leave a Reply