November 24, 2005 will be a SAD day - and that's official.

It is the date the Government has earmarked as the Second Appointed Day under the terms of the Licensing Act 2003 - in other words, the date when the new regulations come into force.

And it could prove to be a sad day indeed for many businesses which have been slow to move towards compliance with the new rules.

As things stand at present, that could be a significant number in the Vale of Evesham.

With the First Appointed Day - the date by which local authorities must have received applications for the new licences - just two weeks away, the take-up rate in the Wychavon District Council area has been startlingly small.

Last week, licensing officer Graham Simms revealed that only around one in six licensed premises had so far submitted applications.

But such is the confusion and speculation surrounding the new Act, the true picture is far from clear.

The first problem is the switch of licensing powers, away from the courts and into the hands of local authorities.

Mr Simms admitted he wasn't even sure how many premises in the district already possessed Justices' Licenses.

"The information wasn't on computer, so we weren't able to get precise figures," he said. "Most of the information we have came from the police."

The perceived wisdom is that there are around 600 licensed premises in the district, of which around 100 had submitted applications.

Under the new Act, licensees will now need to acquire two licenses - a premises licence and a person licence.

If there is no application to vary the terms of an existing licence, applications should go through on the nod.

But since most premises will be seeking an extension of hours, mainly for weekend nights and bank holidays, such variations have to be advertised both on the premises and in the local press.

The complexity of the forms and the detailed requirements have led a number of licensees having to resubmit their applications several times before they were deemed acceptable.

This may not be a major issue now, but as the FAD of August 6 approaches, local authorities are bracing themselves for a last minute avalanche of applications.

With only a finite number of staff to deal with them, delays are inevitable, despite the current warning on the Wychavon website that "if you are simultaneously applying to vary a premises licence or certificate and we don't decide in two months, then your application is refused automatically."

But the new Act goes far beyond licensed premises.

From November 24, all late-night hot food outlets - chip shops, burger bars, pizza parlours and kebab houses - will also be required to hold a licence in order to trade between 11pm and 5am.

All places of entertainment, from cinemas to travelling circuses, will also have to be licensed if they are not to break the law.

As the guidelines to administering the new law are open to differing interpretations by different local authorities, many in the licensing trade fear that chaos is imminent.

November 24 could be the SADDEST day for a lot of people..