The industry-led licensing taskforce report on licensing policy
and the government's response.
From:
Department for Business
and Trade
Published 31 July 2025
Last updated 14 August 2025 — See all updates
Documents
Licensing policy sprint: joint
industry and HM government taskforce report
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Licensing taskforce report:
government response
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Details
The industry-led licensing taskforce was set up to review the
current licensing system under the Licensing Act 2003. The
taskforce concluded on 16 May 2025 and provided government with
10 priority recommendations to consider. The licensing taskforce terms
of reference and membership page provides more
information on the taskforce, including the purpose and scope.
Government response
The government has accepted the majority of the taskforce's
priority recommendations, subject to further consultation,
including:
-
seeking views on creating a National Licensing Policy
Framework to deliver more consistency and transparency across
local authorities
-
considering a licence ‘amnesty' to modernise and remove
outdated conditions from existing licences
-
exploring longer licensing terms for pavement areas to give
businesses greater certainty
-
reviewing temporary event notice limits to provide more
flexibility for operators
-
strengthening the ‘agent of change' principle in licensing
decisions to protect established venues from the impact of
nearby developments
-
exploring ways to support the creation of hospitality and
night-time economy zones
