Experts Warn UK Plan to Scrap Alcohol Licensing Notices Could Silence Local Communities

The UK government is facing backlash over plans that critics say could make major local decisions like new pub openings or venue licenses happen in secret.

The controversy centers on a new proposal to scrap laws requiring alcohol licensing notices and local authority changes to be published in printed local newspapers. Industry experts are warning that the move could drastically reduce transparency and the public’s right to know what’s happening in their own neighborhoods, reported Birmingham Live.

The proposed change is part of a licensing reform consultation launched on October 9 by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Business Secretary Peter Kyle. If passed, local residents might never see public notices about new pubs, nightclubs, or even changes to opening hours in their community — unless they happen to visit a government website.

Critics say that’s not good enough. The News Media Association (NMA) and other advocates argue that removing the requirement for print publication amounts to “secret government,” keeping citizens in the dark about decisions that directly affect their daily lives.

“Local news media in print and digital provide a highly trusted and independent environment for public notices to appear in, with local journalists often reporting on the content of the notices,” said Danny Cammiade, chairman of the NMA.

He added that the industry’s Public Notice Portal, developed with funding and support from Google, has already expanded the reach of online notices — but emphasized that keeping them in print remains vital. “Removing alcohol licensing notices from local papers would undermine this work and leave local communities shrouded in secrecy,” he warned. “Ministers must change course and abandon this misguided plan.”

The issue, critics say, goes beyond pubs. A section in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill would also eliminate the requirement for councils to publish public notices about major changes to local governance arrangements. That could mean sweeping structural reforms to local governments being made without adequate public visibility — something media groups call “a direct attack on the public right to know.”

The House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee recently reported that around 10.2 million UK adults — roughly 20 percent of the population — still lack the basic digital skills needed to fully navigate the online world. That means millions of citizens would effectively lose access to information if print notices disappeared.

Independent research by OnePoll backs that up, showing that local news outlets remain the primary source of public notices for most people — ahead of social media, local authority websites, and search engines.

Owen Meredith, the NMA’s chief executive, said the move would hurt both communities and the institutions that hold them together. “Pubs and local papers go hand in hand. They are community hubs, rooted in place, fostering connection, and acting as a glue that binds neighborhoods together,” he said.

He argued that making licensing changes less visible would damage community trust. “The government’s misguided proposals for secret alcohol licensing notices would damage local cohesion by making decisions around hospitality venues less transparent, ultimately harming both pubs and local papers.”

For now, the government insists the goal is to modernize the system. But to critics, this “modernization” risks cutting millions of people off from the information they need most — and turning once-public processes into private decisions made behind closed doors.