Councils back scrapping of red tape for community events

9 Jan 2013 03:03 PM

Responding to the Government's announcement on removing licensing restrictions for community entertainment, Cllr Flick Rea, Chair of the Local Government Association's Culture, Tourism and Sport Board, said:

 

"Concerts, plays, community and fundraising events are a huge and important part of cultural life in this country and we want to make it as easy as possible for people to hold them.

 

"Councils are firmly behind Government's pledge to scrap unnecessary red tape and take a more common sense approach to licensing. At the same time, it remains important that local authorities are able to act on the concerns of residents, particularly when it comes to late-night concerts and parties held close to people's homes.

 

"It is good news for residents that ministers have listened to councils and scaled down their original plans to deregulate events attended by crowds of up to 5,000 people to a more sensible threshold of 500 for most events."

 

Author: LGA Media Office
Contact: Simon Ward, Local Government Association Media Office, Telephone: 020 7664 3333

 

Notes to editors

 

1. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)'s announcement means that a range of entertainment and cultural events at community venues attended by up to 500 people will be exempt from licensing restrictions. For more information visit the DCMS website:

 

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

 

2. The LGA last year warned that previous DCMS proposals – which would have exempted events attended by up to 5,000 people from the licensing process – went too far and would have left residents and councils powerless to stop noisy all-night raves. Read the LGA press release:

 

LGA website