Tenby Walled Town Residents Association initiated a community-led project at the De Valence Pavilion on Monday, when they held an open meeting on the government's new licensing laws which are due to come into force from next January. 

The meeting produced a strong turn-out of both local residents and business-people, all who gathered to learn about these new licensing laws and their implications in a presentation by Sarah Oliver, of Pembrokeshire County Council's licensing team, and Tony Davies, of Dyfed Powys Police.

The 90-minute presentation was packed with information on the new laws that will deal with such things as temporary and occasional events, premises' licences and personal licences, as well as what opportunities there will be to object to the issue of licences.

Many of those present were already aware that this new legislation would introduce flexible opening hours for licensed premises, even for a potential of 24 hours opening for seven days of the week. 

However, what was stressed at the meeting was that the four principal objectives of this legislation were the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance and the protection of children from harm.

Flexible opening times, it was hoped, would among other things eliminate the present problems that result from uniform closing times.

Under the new licensing laws every application for new licences, or any changes to opening hours, will be published. Anyone will then be able to challenge these, provided that their objections are based on at least one of the four declared principal objectives. 

Local residents and other bodies will also be able to complain about problems arising from exiting premises.

The council were pleased to note that for the first time they would be empowered to take effective measures to counter this sort of problem, such as temporarily reducing a premises' opening hours or closing it down for a number of days.

The council stressed that any objection made would have to be backed up by contemporary written evidence in a hardback book.

Tony Davies asked anyone who was currently experiencing problems to make such records now so they could be used when the new legislation comes into force from next January.

Deputy chairman of TWTRA, Alistair Mackay, who had chaired the meeting, later told the Observer that the presentation had been very well received. 

He then urged other community organisations throughout the county to request the same presentation from the county council so that they, too, can learn of the implications of this new act before its introduction.

He went on to say that Pembrokeshire County Council had produced a free magazine called 'Licensing News' that had been available at the meeting and contained much of the information given in the presentation.

Further copies of this magazine are available from Pembrokeshire County Council's licensing team at Haverfordwest County Hall.

WHERE WERE

THE POLICE?

Afterwards, a Tenby resident has slammed senior police officers for their non-attendance at the licensing meeting on Monday.

"Sarah Oliver and Tony Davies gave a superb presentation," Mr. Ken Fryer told the Observer afterwards.

"It really was very well done," he continued.

"Hopefully, the new act will encourage people and give them the opportunity to have their voices heard."

Mr. Fryer was however concerned that a "senior police officer was not in attendance".

"It was explained that the team wanted to stick to the 'act' and not to be side-tracked into anti-social behaviour and the flak that would have brought," Mr. Fryer explained.

"That's understandable, but its to be hoped that Dyfed Powys police's contribution will not simply be a newspaper report giving their tale or one of their proclamations and that's an end to it.

"The fact remains, non-presence of police at night is not acceptable. It's time senior police officers took the matter seriously," he concluded.