The department for culture, media and sport (DCMS) has announced that village halls and other community venues may no longer have to name a single person to be in charge of their premises licence.

Under the new licensing laws, every application for a licence to sell alcohol must name a designated premises supervisor who is responsible for licensable activities at the venue. That person must hold a personal licence and complete a training course.

However, following concerns from community groups about concomitant bureaucracy and costs, licensing minister Shaun Woodward has announced that the government would, subject to public consultation, seek to remove this requirement.

Village halls and community venues would then be akin to private members’ clubs, where the whole committee takes responsibility for the licence.

Woodward said: “Village and community halls are at the heart of many of our communities and we will do what we can to help them thrive, while ensuring that the rights of local residents and others are also protected.

“Community representatives have said that volunteers are unwilling to take on the responsibility of being the designated premises supervisor, which then makes it difficult for them to apply for a licence to sell alcohol. So we now propose, subject to public consultation, to remove this requirement for such venues.”

The government has also announced that it will not extend the number of temporary event notices (TENs) – a temporary licensing system which allows people to carry out licensable activities without applying for a full licence – beyond the current annual cap of 12 for unlicensed venues.

Woodward stressed that the limit was being kept to protect local residents from noise nuisance and disturbance. Details: www.culture.gov.uk