This guidance is for council colleagues only. Individual businesses and members of the public should contact their trade association or local council if they want any advice.

Introduction
Local Government Regulation (formerly LACORS) provides a comprehensive range of advice, guidance and professional opinion to councils to ensure a consistent and common sense approach to the enforcement of regulatory services.  We do this primarily through our website and e-mail broadcasts.  A great part of our effort is directed at communicating with our customers in this way.  Accordingly, our capacity to deal with individual queries is limited.

To apply those resources equitably, we encourage “self resolution” of queries in the first instance, via liaison, regional and national groups
It is important to note that Local Government Regulations’ advice is not binding on any council; and that only the Courts can interpret the law with authority. 

Legislation may change over time and any advice given is based on the information available at the time the guidance was produced. It is not necessarily comprehensive and is subject to revision in the light of further information. Local Government Regulation accepts no legal liability for the information contained on this website.

Local Government Regulations’ advice is not intended to be a definitive guide to, nor substitute for, the relevant law. Independent legal advice should be sought where appropriate.
In areas where the law is unclear, councils should follow a common interpretation so as to provide clarity and certainty for individuals and businesses. 

Local Government Regulations’ advice and professional opinion tends to be supported and followed by councils because of the shared desire for consistency; because the advice represents a consensus view; and because the views of other stakeholders, including central government and businesses, would have been considered at a national level.

Steps to resolving issues and queries
Local Government Regulation asks enquirers to explore local avenues to resolve any issue or query first.  Please follow these steps before completing a formal query form:

• Check our website for any advice/ guidance/ good or best practice.  Also check the Discussion Groups section of our website – someone might already have found a solution.  If not, initiate a new open discussion so colleagues across the country can apply their knowledge and experience.
• Discuss the issue with colleagues (including legal colleagues) in your own authority.  Check any relevant legislation, regulation and statutory guidelines.  Check other relevant websites such as government departments or professional bodies.
• Ask around and talk to people locally – raise the issue at local/ regional/national groups in your area.  If you don’t currently have such a group, talk to colleagues in adjoining councils about setting one up or you might want to set up a Liaison Group on our website.
• If there is still no consensus, please use one of the following enquiry forms.

Enquiry forms for local council officers:
General enquiry
Private sector housing general enquiry
Licensing Act 03 enquiry
Gambling Act 05 enquiry
Smokefree enquiry

Enquiry forms for non-local council customers:
Private sector housing non-local authority stakeholders enquiry
Trade Association – Licensing Act/Gambling Act Notification Form