Licensing Enforcement

Our Licensing Officers carry out enforcement duties relating to licensed premises, licensed vehicles and drivers, and sex establishments.

Licensing Officers carry out their visits either on their own, with other Licensing officers, or with colleagues from the Responsible Authorities.

Large scale enforcement duties are carried out under the NightSafe partnership, which includes the Licensing Authority, Thames Valley Police, Environmental Protection, Trading Standards, Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue and other agency partners.

Enforcement Officers from the Responsible Authorities and NightSafe partnership also carry out their own enforcement activities. Data is shared between all of the Enforcement Officers to ensure that Oxford is kept as a safe city for people to enjoy and to assist the licensees in maintaining the highest level of standards.

All of our enforcement actions are carried out in accordance with the Oxford City Council Environmental Development Enforcement Policy. A copy of the Policy can be found below:

• Environmental Development Enforcement Policy (33kB DOC)

Licensed Premises

Licensing Officers carry out the following types of standard enforcement inspections either on their own or with fellow Licensing Officers or with Enforcement Officers from the Responsible Authorities:

1.  Routine Inspections - to check that the licence conditions are being adhered to.

2.  Late Night Inspections - to check that the management of the premises is satisfactory, that door staff are licensed by the SIA, that effective dispersal policies are being undertaken.

3.  Joint Inspections - with Enforcement Officers from the Responsible Authorities (including NightSafe) when intelligence has highlighted problems such as Anti-Social Behaviour, Noise Nuisances, Under Age sales, Irresponsible     Promotions, Failure to uphold licence conditions, Failure to uphold the licensing objectives.

4.  Test Purchases - carried out with our colleagues from Thames Valley Police, aimed at premises where under age sales are taking place.

Officers are able to offer advice to both the public and the licensees in order to rectify issues that arise. However there are further powers available to Enforcement Officers, such as prosecution, closure orders, fixed penalty notices, Review of Licence, etc.

Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Drivers and Vehicles

Licensing Officers carry out the following types of standard enforcement inspections either on their own or with fellow Licensing Officers or with Enforcement Officers from other agencies and Thames Valley Police:

1.  Rank Inspections - to check that vehicles and drivers are complying with the conditions of their licences.

2.  Late Night Inspections - are carried out throughout the District, to ensure that vehicles and drivers are complying with the conditions of their licence.

3.  Test Purchases - are carried out throughout the District to ensure that private hire drivers are not 'plying for hire', and that any vehicle seen to be parked in a prominent position is there because it has been booked by a customer.

4.  Operator Inspections - are carried out on Private Hire Operators (i.e. the business premises) to ensure that accurate records of bookings are kept.

Officers are able to offer advice to both the public and the licensees in order to rectify issues that arise. However there are further powers available to the Licensing Officers and Enforcement Officers, such as prosecution, suspension of licences, revocation of licences, warnings, etc.

Sex Establishments

Licensing Officers carry out the following types of standard enforcement inspections, and occasionally carry out joint inspections with our colleagues at Thames Valley Police:

1.  Routine Inspections - to check that the premises are operating in accordance with the licence conditions.

2.  Higher Frequency Inspections - when intelligence has led Officers to believe that the premises are operating outside of the hours or conditions of the licence.

Officers are able to offer advice to both the public and the licensees in order to rectify issues that arise. However there are further powers available to the Licensing Officers and Police, such as prosecution, warnings, etc.

Page last reviewed 1 March 2012