CONCERNS are being raised over government attempts to boost pub trade by removing the requirement to print alcohol licensing notices in local newspapers.

The government’s four-week consultation over its licensing overhaul began on Thursday, October 9.

The proposals are being fiercely opposed by local newspapers, with the media industry warning the move would lead to local community being unaware when new plans for late-night bars and suchlike being planned in their midst.

Cllr Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin, who is Devon County Council Cabinet member for rural affairs and broadband, pointed to the number of people still relied on local papers to find out what was going on in their area.

She said: “I want to emphasise the need to make decisions at a local level. There are many people in our area that rely on these papers, who haven’t got internet access. There are so many people who read the newspapers, they really depend on them, and it is so important that they are able to find out what is going on.

"They are taking it out on the newspaper industry. I think everything should be more open and transparent and this is part of that process. It is another way you make sure people know what is going on. I think that is particularly important in counties like Devon. This is the government not recognising the needs of a rural area."

Her comments come as the newspaper industry launches a campaign against the plans to remove the requirement for alcohol licensing notices and changes to local authority governance arrangements to be published in printed local newspapers. This is part of a wider overhaul of licensing laws across England and Wales.

 News Media Association chairman Danny Cammiade said: “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.

“Developed with funding and expertise from Google, the industry’s Public Notice Portal has increased the reach of public notices online, with the print requirement remaining essential for ensuring those who cannot, or prefer not to, use digital technology can access the notices.

“Removing alcohol licensing notices from local papers would undermine this work and leave local communities shrouded in secrecy. Ministers must change course and abandon this misguided plan.”

A House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee report on digital exclusion warned that around 10.2 million adults (20 per cent) are unable to complete all eight of the foundation tasks needed to set someone up for using the online world.

And independent research from OnePoll shows that local news media remains the primary source used by the public to access public notices, ahead of other sources such as social media, local authority websites, search engines, and printed mailouts.

NMA chief executive Owen Meredith said: “Pubs and local papers go hand in hand. They are community hubs, rooted in place, fostering connection, and acting as a glue that binds neighbourhoods together.

“Yet the government’s misguided proposals for secret alcohol licensing notices would damage local community cohesion by making decisions around hospitality venues less transparent, ultimately harming both pubs and local papers.”