The pub industry has won its High Court challenge to Canterbury Council’s alcohol licensing policy.
Justice Richards awarded full costs to the trio of pub associations which brought the case against the council because it felt it was making unfair demands on licensees through the 2003 Licensing Act.
Although Gloucester Council had earlier this month agreed to amend its policy rather than face a grilling in court, around 30 local authorities had been singled out by the associations for the same reason.
Chief executive of the British Institute of Innkeeping John McNamara, who with the British Beer & Pub Association and the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers brought the action, said he was “delighted”.
He added: “All we’ve been asking for is a level playing field and this is a marvellous result and a real vindication of our actions. It sets a precedent that we will now use as evidence to convince those councils to amend their unfair policies.”
McNamara played down fears the ruling would lead to further chaos in the run up to the licence conversion deadline on 6 August, and said it could instead speed up applications as many operators would have been waiting on the ruling.
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