Licensing enforcement

We 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 and Rescue and other agency partners.

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 our Corporate Enforcement Policy. 

Licensed premises

We undertake a range of enforcement inspections ourselves, alongside other enforcement authorities or with the Police including:

• routine inspections - to check that licence conditions are being adhered to
• 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
• joint inspections - 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
• test purchases - aimed at premises where under age sales are taking place

We are able to offer advice to both the public and the licensees in order to rectify issues that arise.

There are further powers available to us if issues can't be rectified, such as:

• prosecution
• closure orders
• fixed penalty notices
• review of licence

Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Drivers and Vehicles

We undertake a range of enforcement inspections ourselves or alongside other enforcement authorities.

Sex establishments

We undertake a range of enforcement inspections ourselves, alongside other enforcement authorities or with the Police including:

• routine inspections - to check that the premises are operating in accordance with the licence conditions
• 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 warnings and prosecution.