The Licensing Committee of Cardiff Council convened on Wednesday, 19 November 2025, to discuss the review of the Statement of Licensing Policy and to approve the minutes from their previous meeting. The main focus of the meeting was scheduled to be the consideration of a new Statement of Licensing Policy, with a view to launching a public consultation.

Licensing Act 2003 Statement of Licensing Policy 2026-2031

The committee was scheduled to consider a report from Helen Picton, Head of Shared Regulatory Services, regarding the review of the council's Statement of Licensing Policy (SLP) under the Licensing Act 2003¹. The report recommended that the committee approve a draft of the new Statement of Licensing Policy for consultation. Section 5 of the Licensing Act 2003 mandates that licensing authorities determine and publish an SLP at least every five years, outlining how they will carry out their licensing duties in line with four objectives:

• The prevention of crime and disorder
• Public safety
• The prevention of public nuisance
• The protection of children from harm

The existing SLP came into effect in January 2021, making it due for renewal by January 2026.

The proposed revisions to the policy included updates to enhance clarity, improve accessibility, incorporate legal and policy updates such as Martyn's Law², and reinforce the council's commitment to safeguarding vulnerable individuals. Some redundant and unimplemented sections, such as those relating to the Late Night Levy and Early Morning Restriction Orders, were scheduled to be removed.

The updated structure of the policy expands from 8 to 12 main sections, with clearer subdivisions and a logical flow, and introduces a hyperlinked digital format for easier online navigation.

Several sections were scheduled to be added to the policy, including:

• General Principles: This section includes expanded guidance on evidence expectations, proportionate decision-making, appropriate premises design, and partnership approaches. It references a set of model conditions, which are currently being developed by officers and will be presented for approval as a separate policy document.
• Types of Licence, Applications, and Licensing Procedures: This section outlines the application process and provides guidance when drafting operating schedules.
• Making Representations: This section provides guidance to those making representations on licensing applications as a standalone section.
• Licensing Sub-Committee Hearing (Guide for Attendees): This section provides guidance on the Licensing Sub-Committee hearing procedures, the roles of attendees, and decorum expectations.
• Responsible Authorities: This is a standalone section providing guidance on the responsible authorities that are defined within the Licensing Act 2003.
• Safeguarding and the Night-Time Economy: This section details the role of safeguarding in the night-time economy and the council's expectations for licence holders to support safeguarding as part of upholding the licensing objectives.
• Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 (Martyn's Law): This section introduces the new legislative framework relating to premises' need to consider and mitigate terrorist threats and improve preparedness.

Other sections were scheduled to be updated, including:

• Profile of Cardiff: This section has been updated to include the most up-to-date demographic statistics and references to cultural initiatives such as the Blackweir Live events and the Cardiff Music City Festival.
• Promotion of Licensing Objectives: This section has been updated to make the language around the licensing objectives clearer, emphasising proactive community engagement by applicants and enhanced noise management for outdoor events.
• Cumulative Impact Policy (Summary Only): This section provides an updated summary of the latest 2024 Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) covering the city centre, which is a separate policy document. The updated guidance removes the term rebuttable presumption and instead emphasises that each application must be determined on its individual merits.

The report pack included the draft Statement of Licensing Policy 2026-2031.

A consultation on the draft policy was proposed for a period of 8 weeks with bodies including the Chief Officer of Police, the Fire and Rescue Authority, the Local Health Board in Wales, and persons/bodies representative of premises and club premises certificate holders, personal licence holders, businesses and residents in the area.

Minutes

The committee was also scheduled to approve the minutes of the Licensing Committee meeting held on 19 February 2025. During that meeting, Councillor Sean Driscoll declared a personal interest in item 4, as he had previously expressed opinions on the risks associated with problem gambling. The committee had considered endorsing the publication of the Council's Statement of Principles for Gambling for the triennial period 2025 to 2028, and forwarding the policy to Council for final approval.