The Business and Planning Act 2020 (BPA)

The Government has decided to extend the alcohol licensing regulatory easements relating to off-sales. This is set out in the Business and Planning Act 2020 (BPA), until 31 March 2025.

For a limited time, holders of licences that only cover on-sales can make off-sales without amending their licence. This means they can serve alcohol in the area covered by any pavement licence they have. This is possible due to a parallel but independent easement to pavement licensing.

Another regulatory easement in the BPA related to Temporary Event Notices (TENs). It temporarily increased the annual number of TENs that a licensed premise user can have from 15 to 20 per year. It also increased the maximum number of days on which temporary events can be held at such premises from 21 to 26 per year.

This easement will not be extended as the extra TENs provided in the BPA have been underused. The easement will lapse on 31 December 2023.