LGA and IoL publish licensing training standard for councillors

The Local Government Association (LGA) and the Institute of Licensing (IoL) have jointly published a training standard for councillors sitting on Licensing Committees and Sub-Committees. The standard recognises that councillors have a crucial role to play in the licensing process and seeks to drive consistently high standard in decision making in licensing. The document sets out what the LGA and the IoL believe to be a basic level of licensing committee legal training. Key points include:

1. Attendance at and engagement in training provided by the relevant local authority.
2. A full-day’s training in licensing (or 2-3 shorter sessions).
3. Attend annual refresher training.
4. Completion of the LGA’s free online training resources.
5. Having read and understood the relevant local authority’s policies and other relevant guidance e.g. the Section 182 guidance.
6. To have observed or shadowed a Sub-Committee before participating in one.

At John Gaunt & Partners Licensing Solicitors we regularly train elected members both privately and through the IoL. We also appear before Licensing Committees and Sub-Committees up and down the country. We hope that local authorities seek to engage with the licensing training standard for councillors and that licensing decision making, as a whole, benefits from it moving forward.