Consultation on extended opening hours for special events

5th March 2015

The Highland Licensing Board has launched a consultation on whether to introduce a supplementary policy statement on extended opening hours for special events of national and local significance.

The aim of the supplementary policy statement, if introduced, would be to promote consistency of decision-making and to give advance notice to applicants of the Board's likely approach to determining applications.

Under the existing Policy Statement applicants can apply for extended opening hours over the Christmas and New Year period knowing that their applications will generally be granted unless, in any particular case, the Board consider that there are material reasons to refuse the application. There is currently no similar provision indicating the extended hours which will generally be granted for other special events of local or national significance, such as Halloween, Burns Night and the Royal National Mod.

Chair of The Board, Councillor Maxine Smith said: "We’re consulting with our statutory consultees and the wider public on whether to introduce a supplementary policy statement to provide greater certainty for licensees on the extended hours they can generally expect to be allowed for particular special events of local or national significance. We are looking for as many people as possible to take part and let us know their views."

The consultation period runs until 5pm on Friday 17 April 2015. Anyone wishing to take part can complete and return a questionnaire on the Council’s website by this date and The Board will then consider all responses at its meeting on 12 May before reaching a final decision.

To take part in the questionnaire visit www.highland.gov.uk/downloads/file/12569/consultation_document_and_questionnaire_in_relation_to_extended_hours_applications