Threat to Shepway Businesses of Government's Making

Up to 50,000 businesses which provide alcohol, hot food or entertainment after 11pm may have to shut temporarily after failing to reapply for licences. Businesses across Kent including in Shepway are expected to have been affected - in some parts of the county nearly half the licensees have not submitted their forms, according to council figures. New licences will be needed from 24 November.

Businesses had until midnight on 7 August to apply for automatic extensions to their existing licences, and those which did not could now face delays getting them. Those that missed the deadline may now face a "gap in trading", the Department of Culture, Media and Sport said.

A spokeswoman said up to a quarter of the 190,000 businesses that needed to reapply failed to do so. Businesses which missed the deadline will be forced to begin a fresh application, rather than converting their existing licence.

The new system will allow businesses to extend licensing hours and potentially sell alcohol all day. Most pubs were believed to have applied already, but many small and late night restaurants are thought to have failed to do so.

Don Foster MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, commented:

"This shambles is of the Government's own making. It is not surprising so many businesses have yet to apply when the Government's licensing rules state that the later you apply, the less you pay.

"Liberal Democrat calls for the Government to delay the implementation of the Licensing Act have fallen on deaf ears. If the Government is intent on pressing ahead they must be ready to declare a state of emergency in our courts system to ensure application logjams don't result in pubs closing for Christmas."