Buckingham Town Council is rallying against 24-hour opening licences, including the all-night selling of alcohol in the town.
Recently awarded licences by Buckinghamshire Council’s Licensing Committee are contrary to the town’s 'Special Hours Policy', agreed in 2013 to curb anti-social behaviour, local members say.
Buckingham Town councillor Mark Cole JP told Bucks Radio: “The Licensing Committee was not advised that the Town Council is opposed to the removal of the policy, or even that the Town Council had expressed a view, which again is an abuse of democratic process.”
At a recent meeting on 20th October, the removal of Buckingham’s Special Hours Policy was unanimously recommended by the Licensing Committee.
Further to this, the new Unitary Council say that a public consultation showed 64% of residents supported the new policy. However, Bucks Radio has discovered that this consultation included only 55 people out of a population of 15,000.
In their licensing policy statement, Buckinghamshire Council says: “…the legacy policy reflects the position in 2015.
“The current position has changed significantly since that time and it is questionable whether this evidence remains relevant.
“In addition, from a legal perspective it is now questionable whether this policy, as previously drafted, can now be considered lawful because is fetters the Council’s discretionary decision-making powers and prevents the consideration of each application on its own merits.”
Buckingham Town Council currently has two appeals in progress with Magistrates’ Courts against the granting of 24-hour licences in the town.
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