361.Section 5 of the Licensing Act 2003 requires a licensing authority to determine its licensing policy in respect of each three year period and publish a statement of that policy in the form of a ‘licensing statement’ before the beginning of each such period. The licensing authority must also keep its policy under review during each three year period and revise it as appropriate.
362.This section enables a licensing authority to determine its licensing policy and publish a licensing statement in respect of every five year period (this cycle commences on 7th January 2011), unless it replaces its entire policy at any time during each five year period, in which case the new five year period begins from the date on which the policy is replaced. A licensing authority continues to be required to keep its policy under review during each five year period.