Tucked away as the 239th policy commitment in the chancellor’s Autumn Statement was a proposal for the Government to work with local government to improve the licensing of businesses.

This announcement was not missed by the eagle-eyed in the Local Government Association (LGA) who saw one of the Rewiring Public Services challenges launched at the LGA’s 2013 conference finding itself on the runway of legislative reform.

Anyone involved in the regulatory side of a council’s business will recognise the Gordian Knot which has been created by statutory provisions implemented over the decades in response to challenges to fair trading and public safety.