The Committee of the Licensing Authority is scheduled to meet to discuss a revised statement of licensing policy, as well as training requirements, and feedback from panel meetings. The meeting will be held at the Breckland Conference Centre in Dereham and streamed online. The main item on the agenda is the consideration of a revised Statement of Licensing Policy.

Revised Statement of Licensing Policy

The committee is scheduled to discuss and consider the revised Breckland Statement of Licensing Policy under the Licensing Act 2003. The report pack includes a report from Josie Hoven, Senior Licensing Officer, and recommends that the committee recommends the revised policy to the Full Council for approval.

The Licensing Act 2003 requires the council to prepare and publish a statement of its licensing policy at least every five years. The current policy came into force on 7 January 2021, and must be reviewed, revised and published by 7 January 2026. The report pack includes the current policy as Appendix A, the proposed revised policy as Appendix B, and a table of changes as Appendix C.

The draft revised Statement of Licensing Policy aims to provide guidance to applicants and others on the council's approach to determining licences, with the aim of promoting the four licensing objectives:

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

The Licensing Act 2003 requires the council to consult certain persons as part of the process, including:

• The Chief Constable for Norfolk Constabulary
• Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service
• Persons/bodies representative of local holders of premises licences
• Persons/bodies representative of local holders of club premises certificates
• Persons/bodies representative of local holders of personal licences
• Persons/bodies representative of businesses and residents in the area, and
• The Director of Public Health, Norfolk County Council
• The Local Health Board Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board

The consultation was undertaken between 6 June 2025 and 31 August 2025, and information was placed on the council's website. According to the report pack, no responses were received.

The report pack notes that the committee has limited options, as the process is legislative and dictated by the Licensing Act 2003. The committee may:

1. Do nothing, which is not viable as there would be no policy from January 2026.
2. Approve the revised statement without changes and refer it to Full Council for adoption.
3. Approve the revised statement with changes agreed and refer it to Full Council for adoption.

The reasons for the recommendation are to ensure that Breckland Council can discharge its statutory duties and have a clear and robust policy in place. The expected benefit is having a transparent and up-to-date policy enabling compliance with statutory duties and reducing reputational risks.

The report pack identifies several implications of the decision, including:

• Constitution & Legal: It is a statutory requirement that the Licensing Authority produces a Statement of Licensing Policy and reviews it every five years. Failure to do so could lead to challenges and reputational risks.
• Corporate Priorities: The policy supports the corporate strategic vision – Breckland: a place where people and businesses thrive.
• Crime and Disorder: Failure to comply with the Licensing Act 2003 may result in criminal offences.
• Safeguarding: The revised policy sets out how the Authority expects applicants to include safeguarding of children and the vulnerable under the Licensing Act 2003.

Other Business

The committee is also scheduled to discuss:

• Any training requirements for members.
• Feedback and discussion on recent panel meetings, if any.
• The date of the next meeting, which is scheduled for Wednesday, 4 February 2026.

The meeting will also include the standard agenda items of:

• Confirmation of the minutes of the meeting held on 4 June 2025¹.
• Apologies for absence.
• Any urgent business.
• Declarations of interest.
• To note the names of any non-members who wish to address the meeting.