New Licensing law causing Public Hall confusion

According to a report in this week's Market Drayton Advertiser, Audlem's Public Hall could have run into problems with its bar licence just weeks after the new licensing law was introduced. There is confusion as to whether the temporary events licence, covering alcohol sales on 12 occasions each year, includes events staged by external groups or only those arranged by the Public Hall's committee.

The report quotes Geoff Stretch, the committee's chairman, as saying: "Everybody seems to have a different interpretation of this. It could be 12 events for the Public Hall and not everybody."

Parish Councillor Bill Consterdine is also quoted in the Advertiser as having criticised the lack of clarity in the new law. He said that 15 or 16 events with bars had been held at the Hall during the year. He thought the number of events allowed under the temporary licence could be increased to twenty. Failing that, a full licence could be sought but that would require a licencee to take responsibility for it.

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