The Licensing Committee of Kingston upon Thames Council met on Thursday 21 May 2026. The meeting's agenda included the confirmation of previous minutes, the approval of arrangements for Licensing Sub-Committees, and a discussion on gambling harm.

Confirmation of Previous Minutes

The committee was scheduled to confirm that the minutes of the Licensing Committee held on 10 February 2026, and all minutes of Licensing Sub-Committees since the previous main Committee, were a true and correct record.

Licensing Sub-Committees

Arrangements for the establishment and chairing of Licensing Sub-Committees were scheduled for approval. The report indicated that these arrangements have been consistent since 2012/13. The Licensing Act 2003 mandates that the Licensing Committee must establish its Sub-Committees, and these are typically convened shortly after the Annual Council meeting to ensure minimal delay in determining licensing applications. The proposed schedule for Licensing Sub-Committee meetings for the 2026/27 Municipal Year was also to be reviewed, with a note that additional meetings might be required to meet statutory timescales for hearings.

Gambling Harm

A motion referred to the committee by the Council, titled Support National Gambling Reform and Protect Kingston Residents, was scheduled for discussion. This motion, originally submitted at the Council meeting on 16 December 2025, highlighted concerns about the social harm caused by gambling, the limitations of current legislation such as the Aim to Permit rule in the Gambling Act 2005, and the increasing prevalence of online gambling. The report indicated that amendments to the original motion were proposed, including the removal of a reporting requirement due to resource implications and the addition of a sentence clarifying the Licensing Authority's remit concerning physical premises versus online gambling.

The substantive motion, as amended, was intended to:

• Support national reform by joining a coalition of councils calling for urgent gambling reform and endorsing recommendations from the Social Market Foundation's High Streets at Stake report. These recommendations include stronger local licensing powers, the involvement of Directors of Public Health in gambling licensing, closing loopholes in premises classifications, raising licence fees, clarifying responsibilities between local authorities and the Gambling Commission, and removing the Aim to Permit rule.
• Raise Kingston's voice nationally by writing to the Secretaries of State for Culture, Media & Sport and for Health & Social Care urging legislative reform.
• Support harm reduction by joining and promoting campaigns such as the Coalition to End Gambling Ads (CEGA) and working with partners to improve signposting to gambling support and education.

The report noted that the number of premises licensed for gambling activity in the Borough was declining, but online gambling, which is not controlled by the Council, was increasing.