Milton Keynes is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. As with all local authorities in the UK, Milton Keynes Council is responsible for issuing licenses for various activities within its jurisdiction, including licenses for alcohol sales, gambling, taxis, and more. The council aims to promote public safety, prevent crime and disorder, and protect children from harm through its licensing policies.
Some quick answers to common questions about Milton Keynes’ licensing policy:
- Who issues licenses in Milton Keynes? Milton Keynes Council
- What types of activities require a license? Sale of alcohol, provision of entertainment, sale of late night refreshments, gambling activities, operating a taxi service all require licensing.
- How long do licenses last? Licenses typically last 1-3 years before renewal is required.
- Who makes decisions on license applications? The Licensing Committee and its sub-committees.
In this article, we’ll take a deeper look at Milton Keynes’ licensing policies and procedures, including:
Alcohol and Entertainment Licensing
Milton Keynes Council is responsible for issuing premises licenses for the sale of alcohol, the provision of regulated entertainment like live music, plays, or dance, and the provision of late night refreshments.
The key laws governing these licenses are:
- Licensing Act 2003 – sets out the licensing objectives and process for alcohol, entertainment, and late night refreshment licensing in England and Wales.
- Live Music Act 2012 – deregulated small live music events.
- Mandatory Licensing Conditions Order 2010 – standard licensing conditions on issues like age verification, irresponsible promotions, etc.
- Local Government Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 – licenses sex shops, sex cinemas, and sexual entertainment venues.
Some key points about Milton Keynes’ alcohol and entertainment licensing:
- Venues require a premises license to sell alcohol, provide most regulated entertainment, or serve hot food/drink between 11pm-5am.
- Personal licenses are also required for sale of alcohol. These are issued to individuals after training and can be transferred between premises.
- Applications for new premises licenses require a public notice period to allow for objections.
- The council can set local policies and conditions for licensed venues in its Statement of Licensing Policy.
- Reviews of existing licenses can be triggered by authorities or public complaints about problems like noise, crime, public nuisance, etc.
Milton Keynes reviews its Statement of Licensing Policy every 5 years. The current policy came into effect in January 2022.
Some key details in the latest policy include:
Policy objectives
- Protect public safety including through measures like capacity limits, CCTV, metal detectors.
- Prevent crime, disorder, and anti-social behaviour both inside and outside licensed premises.
- Ensure the safety of vulnerable people who may be at risk due to alcohol consumption or entertainment activities.
- Protect children by limiting their access to alcohol and adult entertainment.
Key license conditions
- No irresponsible drinks promotions like unlimited alcoholic drinks for a fixed price, drinking competitions, large discounts on drinks, etc.
- Free potable water must be provided at venues serving alcohol.
- Proof of age policies and venue staff training.
- Recording of incidents. Any fights, ejections, drugs found, etc. must be logged.
- CCTV coverage of entry and exit points and other key areas.
Policy on reviews
Reviews of existing licenses will generally be triggered if there is evidence of:
- Failure to meet licensing objectives like persistent public nuisance or violence issues.
- Problems like drug use or underage sales.
- Links to organised criminal activity.
- Failure to comply with license conditions.
Reviews aim to add or modify conditions to address these problems. License revocation will only be considered as a last resort.
Gambling Licensing
Gambling activities like operating casinos, bingo halls, betting shops, gaming machines, lotteries, etc. require licensing from the Gambling Commission and local authorities under the Gambling Act 2005.
As the local authority, Milton Keynes Council is responsible for issuing:
- Premises licenses – required by permanent gambling venues.
- Temporary use notices – short-term permission for limited gambling on premises not holding a premises license.
- Occasional use notices – for gambling at tracks or other sporting venues on a limited number of occasions.
The council also registers small society lotteries within the borough.
Key details on Milton Keynes’ gambling licensing policy:
- The Gambling Commission deals with operating and personal licensing – Milton Keynes Council cannot issue these licenses.
- The council seeks to permit gambling premises where they are reasonably consistent with the licensing objectives laid out in the Gambling Act 2005.
- These objectives aim to prevent gambling from being a source of crime and disorder, from being used by children and young people, and from contributing to vulnerable people’s gambling problems.
- The council will generally grant or renew premises licenses if applicants demonstrate compliance with Gambling Commission operating and personal license requirements.
- Reviews of premises licenses may be triggered by issues like underage gambling, problems with disorder, links to organised crime, non-compliance with license conditions, etc.
Milton Keynes’ latest gambling licensing policy took effect in January 2022.
Taxi Licensing
Milton Keynes Council is responsible for licensing taxis and private hire vehicles that operate within the borough. This licensing ensures safety standards for drivers and vehicles.
Key taxi/private hire licensing functions of the council include:
- Issuing driver licenses – these require a criminal record check, medical examination, local knowledge test, etc.
- Issuing vehicle licenses – with requirements around age, maintenance, insurance, safety inspections, etc.
- Issuing private hire operator licenses – operators must show they are fit and proper to hold an operator’s license.
Some key parts of Milton Keynes’ taxi/private hire vehicle licensing policies include:
- Driver licenses must be renewed annually, with a new medical and criminal record check required every 3 years.
- Knowledge tests cover routes, fares, streets, and major destinations in the borough.
- Licensed vehicles can be no more than 5 years old for first licensing, and no more than 10 years old for renewals.
- Operators must have an office within Milton Keynes and keep booking records for 1 year.
- Driver and operator licenses may be suspended, revoked, or not renewed for issues like convictions, medical fitness concerns, vehicle defects, public safety risks, etc.
The Licensing Committee oversees taxi/private hire licensing. Milton Keynes’ latest taxi licensing policies took effect in January 2021.
Street Trading Licensing
Milton Keynes Council issues licenses for street trading activities like food trucks, market stalls, mobile shops, etc. operating in public places.
This licensing aims to:
- Prevent obstruction and nuisance issues on streets and public spaces.
- Ensure public safety around street trading activities.
- Avoid too much trade competition for existing shops to maintain the vibrancy of local centres.
Key details of Milton Keynes’ street trading licensing policy:
- Activities require a license if trading on streets, pavements, parks, car parks, etc. A temporary license may be issued for one-off events.
- Key requirements look at proposed location, hours, products sold, size, nuisance, safety, potential competition with shops, etc.
- Restrictions on trading near schools, residential areas, road junctions, building entrances, etc.
- Trading only permitted during limited hours – restrictions aim to avoid noise issues overnight.
- The council can revoke or refuse renewal of licenses for non-compliance with conditions, public nuisance, crime, etc.
The latest street trading policy for Milton Keynes took effect in April 2018.
Sex Establishment Licensing
Milton Keynes Council oversees the licensing of sexual entertainment venues and sex shops/cinemas under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982.
Licensing aims to control the growth of these establishments and prevent issues around crime, anti-social behaviour, public nuisance, etc. linked to them.
Key aspects of Milton Keynes’ sex establishment licensing policy include:
- Venues offering lap dancing, pole dancing, strip shows, etc. require a sexual entertainment venue license.
- Shops selling R18 videos or adult toys require a sex shop license. Premises showing R18 films require a sex cinema license.
- These establishments can only operate in certain designated areas to avoid impact on residential communities, schools, places of worship, etc.
- Licenses may have conditions on hours, external appearance, shop displays, advertising, CCTV, door staff, etc.
- Strict policies prohibit admission of and physical contact with under 18s.
- Non-compliance can lead to license review, revocation, or non-renewal.
Milton Keynes Council adopted its latest policy on sex establishment licensing in January 2013.
Other Local Authority Permits and Registration
In addition to licensing, Milton Keynes Council requires permits, approvals, or registration for various other activities, including:
- Street collection permits for charitable collections
- Permits for tables and chairs outside food/drink establishments
- Approval for certain large public events
- Skip permits for temporary placement of construction skips on streets
- Pavement crossovers for dropped curbs allowing vehicle access over pavements to properties
- Registration of skin piercing, tattooing, acupuncture practitioners, etc.
- Permits for buskers
- Permits for street parties
Regulating these activities contributes to public safety, preventing nuisance, and ensuring accessibility of public spaces. The council’s website provides guidance on the application process and requirements for each type of permit.
Enforcement of Licensing Rules
To ensure compliance with licensing rules and policies across Milton Keynes, the council:
- Conducts routine inspections of licensed premises.
- Carries out roadside checks on licensed taxis/private hire vehicles.
- Responds to complaints about unlicensed activities or breach of licensing conditions.
- Works jointly with Thames Valley Police on investigations and raids where needed.
Enforcement actions can range from warnings and formal cautions up to prosecutions. The council also has powers to issue Penalty Charge Notices for some licensing offences.
Ultimately, licensing committees can suspend, revoke or refuse to renew licenses where serious non-compliance occurs. The council aims to use these strict measures only as a last resort.
Conclusions
Key conclusions about Milton Keynes’ licensing policies:
- The council regulates alcohol/entertainment, gambling, taxis, street trading and other activities through licenses and permits.
- This aims to promote public safety, prevent crime/disorder and nuisance, and protect children and vulnerable people.
- Policies balance business interests with potential risks around activities like alcohol, gambling and sexual entertainment.
- Applications must meet policy requirements around location, hours, safety, risks, potential impact on disorder and local amenity.
- Premises are subject to conditions and can face enforcement action like reviews for non-compliance.
- Policy reviews every few years ensure regulations remain up-to-date.
Milton Keynes’ detailed and robust licensing policies provide clear guidance to applicants while ensuring the council can effectively manage risks. Ongoing enforcement work and cooperation with partners like the police also helps achieve licensing objectives. This contributes to making the borough a safe and vibrant place to live, work and visit.