Flexible opening hours for pubs by December
Later opening times for pubs and bars will become a reality by December, as new licensing laws allowing up to 24 hour drinking come into force.
Licensing minister James Purnell has confirmed the new laws will come into effect by November 24th, saying they will “revolutionise the way we spend our leisure time and the way in which many businesses are run”.
The new regime will replace an archaic collection of regulations brought in during the First World War – designed to help maximise workers’ productivity.
All businesses selling alcohol or hot food after 23:00 BST must apply for licences by August 6th, even if they do not want to extend their opening hours. Currently, 65 per cent of businesses have done so.
The government has brought in some measures to try to minimise any negative impact of the legislation – such as extra powers for local authorities to deal with ‘drunken yobs’.
