Licensing bodies

North Ayrshire Licensing Board is the statutory licensing authority for alcohol licensing in North Ayrshire under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005. It also carries out local licensing functions under the Gambling Act 2005, including functions relating to gambling premises licences and certain permits.

North Ayrshire Council elects Councillors to be Members of the Board. The Convenor of the Licensing Board is Councillor Eleanor Collier. The Clerk to the Licensing Board is the council's Senior Legal Services Manager, Raymond Lynch.

Read the North Ayrshire Licensing Board guide to information document.

Licensing Board dates

Many licensing decisions can be made by the Clerk using authority granted by the Board. These decisions can be made without needing a Board meeting (this arrangement is called 'Delegated Powers').

Some decisions are on a list of reserved decisions, which means that only the Licensing Board can make them. The Reserved List includes decisions to:

• grant new Premises Licences
• make Major Variations to existing Premises Licences
• review Premises Licences (hear complaints)

The Reserved List is prescribed by Law and the Licensing Board cannot change it.

If you want something on the Reserved List, you should lodge your application at latest by the Friday eight weeks before the date you want the Board to deal with your case. If you do this, we try to have your case dealt with at your chosen Board meeting, but we cannot guarantee to do so. Your case may have to wait for a later meeting.

The Board may set extra special meetings.

Board meetings

The Board meets in Council Chambers, Cunninghame House, Irvine. All proceedings are held in public. Before deciding they may retire to another room to discuss the case then return to make the decision.

View North Ayrshire Licensing Board Agendas and Minutes.

Statement of Reasons

Sometimes the Licensing Board is asked to issue a statement of reasons explaining a decision, in addition to notifying affected parties.

Statements of reasons can be requested by:

• licence applicants
• licence holders
• the police
• members of the public

Request conditions

Although members of the public can request a statement of reasons they must have:

(a) made an objection or representation to:

• the grant or refusal of a Premises Licence
• the grant or refusal of a 'major variation' of a Premises Licence
• some other decisions about a Premises Licence
• the grant or refusal of an Occasional Licence

(b) made a Review Application under Section 36.

We have to give the statement of reasons to everyone who had a right to be involved in the decision, even if they did not ask for one.

In most cases, statements of reasons are sent directly to the party requesting them. A copy is also sent to the other parties involved.

When many parties are involved, we will publish the statement of reasons below.

Making an appeal

Some Board decisions can be appealed to Kilmarnock Sheriff Court. If you are thinking of an appeal, you should take independent legal advice immediately. Don't wait until the Board has issued a statement of reasons, as there are strict time limits on appealing.

The rules about who can ask for a statement of reasons are different from the rules about who can appeal. Some people who can ask for a statement of reasons cannot appeal.

Current statements of reasons

There are currently no statements of reasons.

Licensing Policy Statement

The Licensing Board adopted a Licensing Policy Statement document under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 for the period 2023 to 2027. Annex D of the Licensing Policy Statement relates to Overprovision.

Objections and Complaints about Licensed Premises

The Board has stated advice on making comments and complaints. Make a Complaint/Premises Licence review application document to the Licensing Board, under Section 36 of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005.

Mainstreaming Equality and Equality Outcomes

Information on the Board's equality outcomes and the progress it has made to mainstream equality is contained in the Board's:

• Mainstreaming Report 2025 to 2027 and Equality Outcomes Report 2025 to 2029 document

Annual Functions Report under Section 9A of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005

• Annual Functions Report under Section 9A for Financial Year 2024 to 2025 document

Annual Financial Report under Section 9B for Financial Year 2024 to 2025

• Annual Financial Report under Section 9B for Financial Year 2024 to 2025 document

North Ayrshire Council has established the North Ayrshire Local Licensing Forum under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005.

The forum reviews how alcohol licensing operates in North Ayrshire and gives advice and recommendations to the North Ayrshire Licensing Board on general licensing matters.

The forum is separate from the Licensing Board and does not make licensing decisions. It cannot consider, comment on or provide advice about an individual licence application or case.

The Licensing Board must have regard to advice or recommendations made by the forum. If the Board decides not to follow that advice or recommendation, it must give the forum reasons for its decision.

The forum’s membership represents a range of interests, including:

• licence holders
• local residents
• Police Scotland
• NHS Ayrshire and Arran
• education
• social work
• young people
• the council’s Licensing Standards Officer

Forum meetings

View North Ayrshire Local Licensing Forum agendas and minutes.

Joining or contacting the forum

For further information about the forum or becoming a forum member, please contact the Licensing Team.

Before anyone, whether a Licence Applicant or an Objector, attends the Hearing or sends a written statement they want Councillors to look at, they should know that there are some things they shouldn't tell the Licensing Authority about. This includes:

• questions about the display or content of the Licensing Site Notice
• Title Conditions, boundaries, rights of access, and common charges
• Planning
• Building Control
• parking/obstruction of roads
• waste bins and waste collection
• access by emergency vehicles
• whether or not someone is guilty of a criminal offence
• whether or not a court action (civil or criminal) should be, or should have been, decided in a certain way
• whether or not Data Protection rules (including the use of CCTV) are being broken

Read our advice about coming to a Licensing meeting (Excluded Matters) document for information about:

• Before you come to a meeting
• If you are disabled
• Before the meeting
• The information the Licensing Authorities can use
• "Sub Judice" - allegations of criminal conduct
• "Excluded Matters" - comments and complaints about Licences - what not to tell the Licensing Board

Excluded Matters are unlikely to be relevant to Licensing Laws and may be matters which other authorities outside the council can deal with.