Renewal of unopposed licences and permits
3.—(1) In Schedule 1 to the 1963 Act (bookmakers’ permits, betting agency permits and betting office licences), after paragraph 20 there shall be inserted—
“Unopposed applications for renewal
20A.—(1) Where—
(a)an application for the renewal of a bookmaker’s permit, betting agency permit or betting office licence (other than an application to which paragraph 10(b) of this Schedule applies) has been made in accordance with paragraph 9 of this Schedule, and
(b)immediately before the meeting of the appropriate authority at which the application would, apart from this paragraph, fall to be considered—
(i)the clerk to the authority has not received any objection to the renewal of the permit or licence, or
(ii)every such objection received by him has been withdrawn,
the clerk may act for the authority in relation to the determination of the application.
(2) Sub-paragraph (1) of this paragraph shall not have effect to enable the clerk to the appropriate authority to act for the authority in—
(a)refusing the application, or
(b)granting the application in circumstances where there is a discretion to refuse it.
(3) The clerk to the appropriate authority may not act under sub-paragraph (1) of this paragraph in any case where to do so would be contrary to the authority’s directions.
(4) The functions of the clerk to the appropriate authority under sub-paragraph (1) of this paragraph shall also be exercisable by such other officer of the appropriate authority as the clerk may designate for the purposes of this paragraph.”.
(2) In paragraph 8(b) of that Schedule (information about right to object to be contained in advertisement of arrangements for renewal), the words from “that” to the end shall become sub-paragraph (i) and after that sub-paragraph there shall be inserted
“, and
(ii)where relevant, that there are circumstances in which an application for renewal may be dealt with under paragraph 20A of this Schedule by the clerk to the authority instead of at the meeting.”.