Cutting pub ‘red tape’ would leave people in the dark over changes

NEWSPAPERS MUST RETAIN VITAL ROLE IN COMMUNITY

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AT a time when trust in politics is at an all-time low, local newspapers remain a highly-trusted source of information.

But, while well-intentioned, the government's plans to relieve pubs of ‘red tape’ would remove a crucial role local newspapers continue to play.

Last week, ministers revealed plans to scrap laws requiring alcohol licensing notices to be published in printed local newspapers.

If approved, plans to open a new pub or nightclub, or for an existing venue to change its opening hours, would no longer be publicised.

At the same time as the licensing reforms, a provision in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill would remove the legal requirement for notices publicising changes to local authority governance arrangements to be published in local papers too.