The licensing authority has regulatory obligations under the Gambling Act 2005 for licensing gambling premises and issuing club machine permits, gaming machine permits, temporary use notices and registering small society lotteries.
The licensing authority must also ensure that the licensing objectives as outlined in the Gambling Act 2005 are promoted by all operators. The objectives are:
(a) preventing gambling from being a source of crime and disorder, being associated with crime and disorder or being used to support crime,
(b) ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way, and
(c) protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling.
The Council’s Statement of Principles was adopted on 20 September 2023 by Full Council.
Details of the fees due for applications under the Gambling Act 2005 can be found on the Council's list of fees.
Certain types of applications are subject to a public consultation period, during which a responsible authority or any other person may submit a representation. The representation must clearly relate to the premises to which the application relates and refer to one or more of the four licensing objectives. The licensing authority may reject any representation it considers to be frivolous, vexatious or repetitious. Representations cannot be made anonymously and must include the name and address of the person submitting it.
Representations can be made via email to licensing@havant.gov.uk, or via post to Licensing, Havant Borough Council, Public Service Plaza, Civic Centre Road, Havant, PO9 2AX. Representations received outside of the statutory consultation period cannot be considered; therefore, if you are sending your representation via post we recommend sending it several days in advance of the consultation’s end.
When making a representation, the name and address of the person submitting it will be kept confidential. The content of the representation will be published, with names, addresses, contact details and signatures redacted. However, if the person making the representation wishes to address the Licensing Sub-Committee at the hearing held to determine the outcome of the application, then the name of that person will be published in the public domain. Should any person prefer not to have their name published, they may nominate a representative to speak on their behalf. However, that representative’s name will then be published in the public domain.