NEW licensing legislation for pubs, clubs, liquor stores, hotels and event organisers is being introduced.

The present system of publicans, hoteliers and off-licence owners having to apply to magistrates for their licences and any variations or extensions is being abolished.

All licence applications and requests for variations will have to be made instead to district councils.

District councils like Kennet, North Wiltshire and West Wiltshire and Swindon Borough Council have been responsible for public entertainment licences for premises where music, dancing and other entertainment was to take place.

In future district and borough councils will deal with all licensing.

Late night food outlets including take aways will, for the first time, have to be licensed. The only time licensees will have to apply to the magistrates courts will be if they wish to appeal against a council decision.

As part of the transfer of the responsibility, each council has to draw up a draft licensing policy based on a model policy supplied by the government.

Kennet has had to set up a new licensing sub section under Mandy Bradley, the environmental health and protection services manager.

The council has seconded its principle environmental health officer John Knight to oversee the introduction of the new licensing system.

Last week Mr Knight ran four roadshows in the district for the benefit of the almost 400 people running pubs, clubs, hotels, off licences and late night food outlets (those that open after 11pm) affected by the new scheme.

Not only is the authority for issuing licences to sell alcohol passing to the district councils, they will be responsible for a whole new licensing system.

Mr Knight said the new law requires premises to be licensed and for each business there has to be a personal licence holder as well who will be known as the designated licence holder.

The late night food outlets licences will be required not only by static premises, said the EHO, but also by the take away food vans that trade beyond 11pm.

Mr Knight said: "A lot of this new legislation is to do with controlling anti social behaviour."

If the council gets reports of vandalism, violence or other yobbish behaviour in the vicinity of a particular food outlet they call the licence in for re-examination in front of a panel of councillors.

Kennet is having to set up a new licensing committee of 15 members who will sit on three-member panels to handle the expected huge workload as the new act initially comes into force.

The names of publicans will no longer have to appear over the door and the present drinking up time of 20 minutes at the end of the night will disappear.

Under the new controls, if a pub license runs until 11pm it cannot sell any more alcohol, but supposedly has an indefinite period to let you drink already purchased alcohol on the premises, or by the same token, close immediately.