Under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 every local authority must establish a Local Licensing Forum for their area.
The Forum’s role is to keep under review the operation of the new Licensing Act and to give advice and make recommendations to the Licensing Board in relation to any matters that the Forum considers appropriate. Although the Forum is independent from the Licensing Board they will share the common goal of having the local community’s best interest at the heart of the decision making.
Meetings
The Forum meets four times a year, currently on a Tuesday morning at Council Headquarters in Kilmarnock.
Members
The Forum consists of between 5 and 21 members as the Council may determine, with members being representative of the key interest areas which are:
- holders of premises and personal licences
- persons having functions relating to health, education or social work
- young people
- persons living within the Forum’s area
How to apply
If you are interested in volunteering to become a member, and feel you can bring something to the Forum, please contact us and we can send you an application form.
Useful information for forum members
Some examples of the information shared on the Licensing Forum are shown below:
Community toolkit
Alcohol Focus Scotland has launched a useful community toolkit with the aim of explaining how the liquor licensing process works in Scotland.
It advises how to object to licensing applications, how to seek a review of a premises licence and provides practical assistance for people who want to get involved but aren't sure where to start.