Licensing decisions

Licensing decisions are made by: 

• the Licensing Committee
• a licensing sub-committee
• officers within our Housing and Safer Communities directorate (with delegated authority) 

To find out more about delegated licensing function, read Part 3 of the council constitution. 

Licensing sub-committee meetings 

We hold licensing sub-committee meetings when: 

• a licensing application receives objections
• we receive an application to review a licensed premises 

We hold the meetings online and record them. 

Take part in a licensing sub-committee meeting 

You can only participate in the meeting if you: 

• are the applicant
• are a representative of the applicant
• have made written representation about the application
• are a designated representative of someone who has made written representation 

We cannot accept a request to speak at a meeting unless you meet these requirements. 

Speaking at a licensing sub-committee meeting

If you’ve made written representation about the application, we’ll let you know the date of the meeting and send you a link to attend the online meeting. 

How to submit a request to speak

You must confirm that you want to speak at a meeting by 5pm on the last working day before the meeting. 

If you cannot attend and have asked someone to speak on your behalf, you must let the Committee Clerk know their name and email address. 

At the meeting

When you join the online meeting, you must: 

• display your name
• switch on your camera so the committee can see you 

Submitting documents to a licensing sub-committee meeting 

If you’re submitting a licensing application or making representation, you must submit all documents for the meeting during the licensing consultation period. 

Submitting late documents

If you want to submit documents after we publish the meeting agenda, you must: 

• submit the documents before 5pm, 5 working days before the meeting
• explain why you did not submit the documents during the consultation period
• indicate why the documents are relevant to the hearing  

Why the committee may not accept late documents

If the committee decides that any documents are not relevant to the application or to the representations made, they may not be accepted.