My understanding (which may be flawed, I know ;-) is that licensing will remain the province of magistrates. However under the new law, local residents will be allowed a voice when a license application is made, in much the same way that residents would be allowed to speak up over planning permission. Currently I believe local residents have no standing when a music or liquor license is granted, so there's no way for them to get their views heard. That sounds like a useful change, although as ever the implementation remains to be tested.

Please excuse my 'flames'.

Your understanding is the reverse of the position but understandable as the liquor licence and entertainment licence are now just referred to as licensing - as if they presented the same problems.

All licensing will now be the province of local authorities as entertainment licensing already is.

Residents can certainly now make their views known as regards entertainment licensing and they do this to great effect - if they complain when the PEL is applied for and they are given a period of time in which to do this. Every application must provide a public notice to inform residents.

There is little real change to this procedure under the Act.