The Statutory Licensing Sub-Committee of Durham County Council was scheduled to consider an application for the review of a premises licence for The Kings Head public house in Cockfield. The meeting's agenda indicated that the primary business would be the discussion of this licence review, with supporting documents detailing the application and representations from various parties.

Application for the Review of a Premises Licence: The Kings Head, Cockfield

The main item scheduled for discussion was an application to review the premises licence for The Kings Head, located at 53 Front Street, Cockfield, Bishop Auckland, Co Durham, DL13 5DS. This review was initiated by Durham Constabulary on 28 July 2026, under Section 53A of the Licensing Act 2003, following an incident on 25 July 2026. The report pack indicated that the police believed the premises were associated with serious crime and/or serious disorder.

An interim hearing had already taken place on 30 July 2026. The report pack detailed that additional information was provided by the licence holder, FB Taverns FH Limited, on 12 August 2026. This included plans for reopening, such as appointing a new designated premises supervisor, installing CCTV, and introducing an operating policy.

During the consultation period for the review, 18 representations were received in support of the premises licence holder. However, Public Health, the Durham Safeguarding Children Partnership, and Cockfield Parish Council submitted representations in support of the review. Environmental Health, the Home Office, and the Planning Authority responded with no representations.

The Sub-Committee was asked to determine the review application with a view to promoting the licensing objectives: the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the protection of children from harm, and the prevention of public nuisance. The report recommended that the Sub-Committee give appropriate weight to the steps to promote these objectives, the representations from all parties, Durham County Council's Statement of Licensing Policy, and the Guidance issued under Section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003.

The report outlined the options available to the Sub-Committee, which included taking no further action, modifying or adding conditions to the licence, excluding a licensable activity, removing the Designated Premises Supervisor, suspending the licence for up to three months, or revoking the licence entirely.

The report also referenced legal implications, noting that the Sub-Committee must have regard to guidance issued by the Secretary of State under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003, and that any conditions attached to a licence should be necessary, proportionate, and enforceable, as established in cases such as Daniel Thwaites Plc v Wirral Borough Magistrates' Court¹ and R v Bristol Magistrates' Court².

The report pack included appendices containing a location plan and street view images of The Kings Head, the notice of determination from the interim steps hearing, a copy of the premises licence, the review application and certificate from Durham Constabulary, and additional information provided by the premises licence holder, including their operating standards manual. It also contained representations from various individuals and organisations, both in support of and in opposition to the review.