My post crossed with Rcl1's again, so I'll now say thank you to him for his comment.
The Licensing Act 2003 is interpreted very differently across the country. Section 18, Paragraph 2 of the Act makes it clear that local authorities must grant all applications for licences unless there is a good reason not to. Further, the implications of the Act are that every licence application should be considered separately. (i.e. local authorities must not apply 'blanket policies').
In North Norfolk a large number of pubs applied for 24 hour licences (even though hardly any of them, if any, actually planned to open for 24 hours). The local authority stuck by the rules and (in the absence of any reasons to do otherwise) granted a large number of 24 hour licences. Consequently there are now more 24 hour licences in rural North Norfolk than anywhere else in the country.
Havering Borough Council, however, made a blanket decision that they'd only permit late drinking within Romford town centre. Any pub from outside that area applying for a 'late' licence would automatically have their application rejected. That decision was (and remains) unlawful but, to the best of my knowledge, no publican (or pub chain) has yet taken the council to court to challenge the decision (probably because of the cost of doing so).
Similarly, some licensing authorities have adopted a 'blanket rule' (whether as a minuted resolution, as in Havering, or more subtly) regarding the presence of minors in pubs. (The 9pm cut-off is extremely common). More enlightened (and law-abiding) authorities, such as North Norfolk, stick to the law and consider every application on its merits.
Chris