The Licensing Taskforce has published recommendations following its 20-year review of the Licensing Act 2003. Explore proposed updates, including policy changes, TEN limits, outdoor areas, and Category C gaming machine reforms.
Licensing|03 September 2025
Insight
The Licensing Act 2003 reaches its twentieth anniversary this year, after coming into force in 2005. Twenty years on, a government Licensing Taskforce has been established to conduct a Licensing Act review and consider possible updates to the act.
The taskforce produced ten recommendations focused on supporting business growth, improving proportionality and transparency, safeguarding the licensing objectives, and enhancing the licensing regime for the future.
The National Licensing Policy Framework is designed to ensure statutory consistency and a national policy that is harmonious across licensing authorities, while still allowing local authorities to maintain their decision-making powers.
A one-time ‘amnesty’ scheme would allow businesses, in collaboration with their licensing authority and the police, to ‘MOT’ the conditions on a licence and ensure they remain fit for purpose.
The Licensing Taskforce recommends making licensing hearings more proportionate and streamlined. This includes strengthening the objections procedure for responsible authorities, with a minimum evidence threshold required to support any objection.
The taskforce recommends removing the hard-copy local newspaper requirement. Physical notices on or near the premises and online are considered sufficient.
Regulatory barriers should be reduced to allow licensed premises to make better use of outdoor spaces. The Licensing Act review suggests improving licensing decisions, simplifying processes, and ensuring greater consistency.
The maximum entitlement for Temporary Event Notices (TENs) could be increased to 25 TENs covering 30 days, or at a minimum 21 TENs for 26 days per year, the same level used during COVID-19.
Blanket policies, such as core hours, were not in the original Act. The taskforce recommends introducing a sunset clause to review policies that have been running indefinitely with limited oversight.
The taskforce proposes clearer evidential standards and structured mechanisms for objections and reviews to reduce unnecessary burdens on businesses and local authorities.
The Licensing Act review includes proposals to review licence length and fees for festivals and remove large-event multipliers.
The agent of change principle should be formally considered when making licensing decisions.
The independent taskforce also considered the impact of other licensing regimes, such as the Gambling Act 2005, on alcohol-licensed venues. Proposed changes include:
These recommendations mark the start of a significant Licensing Act review that could result in possible Licensing Act updates for businesses, local authorities, and event organisers.
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