Frivolous or vexatious complaints
We aim to consider all review requests/feedback fairly, but there are some circumstances where a representation (comment or objection) may not be accepted.
We won’t consider representations that are frivolous or vexatious, which generally means they are either not serious or are made to cause disruption.
It’s up to the licensing authority to decide if this is the case.
For example, a representation might be seen as vexatious if it appears to be part of an ongoing dispute between competing businesses, or frivolous if it clearly lacks substance or relevance.
We also can’t consider repetitious representations. These are ones that repeat points we've already looked at, such as:
- Issues raised in a previous review of the same licence.
- Comments already considered when the licence was first granted.
- Representations excluded during the original application because a provisional statement had already been issued.
Additionally, we may not accept a request for review if a reasonable amount of time hasn’t passed since the last review. It is for us to determine what constitutes a 'reasonable interval' in the circumstances. Guidance from the Secretary of State advises that more than one review by the same interested party on similar grounds should generally not be permitted within a 12-month period, except in compelling circumstances (such as the emergence of new issues) or where the review follows a closure order.