I AM the chairman of our village hall in Steeple Ashton. We have a normal Public Entertainment Licence but under the new Act have to convert this to a Premises Licence.

This is fine except under the old law if anyone wanted to have a bar at a function such as a wedding reception or dance they had to apply to the local magistrates for permission.

Under the new rules they have to apply to the local district council. These are now called Temporary Event Notices and as well as being more expensive the hall is now limited to a maximum of 12 events in a year.

If we wish to have more than 12 events we have to get a Premises Licence which means one of our voluntary committee has to become a Designated Premises Supervisor, a post that understandably no one will volunteer for. Maggie Jones, our West Wilts hire District Council licensing officer, is extremely helpful but why did the Government have to mess up a good, simple system that worked well?

We have already lost our school and post office and if we have to turn away too many bookings may lose revenue so we have to close the village hall. To comply with the new Oil Storage Regulations we have to find the money to change a six-year-old plastic oil tank with a double-lined one at a cost of £1,500.

R LITTLE

Steeple Ashton