Premises licence
Details of how to apply for a premises licence
The Licensing Act 2003 transferred the responsibility of a wide range of licensing functions to local authorities, this included the licensing of liquor, entertainment, late night refreshment and club certificates.
If your business carries on any of the following activities you must apply to the Council for a licence:
- The sale by retail of alcohol
- The supply of alcohol by a club
- The provision of regulated entertainment in the presence of an audience i.e.
- A performance of a play
- An exhibition of a film
- An indoor sporting event, boxing or wrestling entertainment
- Performance of live music
- Playing of recorded music, performance of a dance
- Entertainment of a similar description to the performance of live music, the playing of recorded sound and the performance of dance
- The provision of late night refreshment i.e. the provision of hot food or drink to members of the public between 11pm and 5am
The forms required for the application of the above licenses can be obtained from the licensing office or by following the links below.
The Licensing Act 2003 requires the Council to produce a licensing policy. This policy sets out how the Council expects the licensing objectives, defined by the act, to be promoted in the local area and provides guidance on the matters that will normally be taken into account when making decisions on licensing applications.
A copy of the policy can be obtained from the licensing office or please download from the downloads section to the right.
The licensing section has produced guidance leaflets to assist applicants when submitting applications and to assist responsible authorities or interested parties when considering making a review application. The guidance leaflet and the review leaflet can be obtained from this website by following the links in the downloads section on the right hand side. However, you should consult your own legal advisor for legal advice.
| Licence summary | To provide late-night refreshments and regulated entertainment, and sell alcohol, you need a licence from the local authority if you are in England and Wales. |
|---|---|
| Eligibility Criteria | Any of the following may apply for a premises licence:
Applicants must not be under 18 years of age. |
| Regulation Summary | |
| Application Evaluation Process | Applications must be sent to the licensing authority for the area where the premises are located. Applications must be in a specific format and be accompanied by any required fee. Current fees can be obtained from the downloads section of this page. An operating schedule, a plan of the premises and a form of consent from the premises supervisor (for applications where the sale of alcohol will be a licensable activity) are required. The licensing section has produced guidance leaflets to assist applicants when submitting applications and to assist responsible authorities or interested parties when considering making a review application. The guidance leaflet and the review leaflet can be obtained from this website by following the links in the downloads section on the right hand side. However, you should consult your own legal advisor for legal advice. An operating schedule will include details of:
Applicants are required to advertise their application and to give notice of the application to other responsible authorities. Contact details of these authorities can be obtained from the downloads section. The licensing authority must grant the application, following the statutory consultation period if no representations are received. A hearing must be held within 28 days after the end of the consultation period if any representations are made in respect of the application. If a hearing is held the licence can be granted or granted subject to additional conditions, licensable activities listed in the application can be excluded or the application can be rejected. The licensing authority will serve a notice of its decision on the applicant, any person who has made relevant representations (ie representations that were not deemed frivolous or vexatious) and the chief of police. Applications can also be made to vary or transfer a licence. A hearing may have to be held if representations are made or conditions relating to a transfer are not met. Other applications that can be made are applications for an interim authority notice following the death, incapacity or insolvency of a licence holder or review applications. |
| Will Tacit Consent Apply? | Yes. This means that you will be able to act as though your application is granted if you have not heard from the local authority by the end of the target completion period. |
Apply online
| Apply for a premises licence (This is currently not available online, please contact us) Apply for a provisional statement Apply for a Designated Premises Supervisor to be disapplied Tell us about a minor change to your premises Apply to vary your premises licence Apply to transfer your premises licence Notify us of an interest in premises under section 178 Tell us about a change to your existing interim authority notice Tell us about a change to your existing consent to transfer Notify us of your request to be removed as designated premises supervisor Tell us about a change to your existing consent to be designated |
| Failed Application Redress | Please contact your Local Authority in the first instance. If an application for a licence is refused the failed applicant can appeal. Appeals are made to a Magistrates' court within 21 days of notice of the decision. |
| Licence Holder Redress | Please contact your Local Authority in the first instance. If an application is made by the chief police officer, as detailed below, and interim steps are taken by the licensing authority you may make representations. A hearing must be held within 48 hours of your representations. A licence holder may appeal against any conditions attached to a licence, a decision to reject a variation application, a decision to reject a transfer application or a decision to exclude an activity or person as premises supervisor. Appeals are made to a Magistrates' court within 21 days of notice of the decision. |
| Consumer Complaint | An interested party or responsible authority may apply to the licensing authority to review the premises licence. A hearing will be held by the licensing authority. Appeals are made to a Magistrates' court within 21 days of notice of the decision. |
| Other Redress | The chief police officer for the police area where the premises are located can apply to the licensing authority for a review of the licence if the premises are licensed to sell alcohol by retail and a senior officer has given a certificate that they are of the opinion that the premises are associated with either serious crime or disorder or both. A hearing will be held and the licence holder and other interested parties may make representations. A chief police officer can give a notice to the licensing authority if they believe that the transfer of a licence to another, could undermine crime prevention objectives. Such a notice must be given within 14 days of receiving notification of the application. An interested party or responsible body may make representations in relation to a licence application or request the licensing body to review a licence. An interested party or responsible authority may apply to the licensing authority to review the premises licence. A hearing will be held by the licensing authority. A chief police officer may make representations to the licensing authority for a review of the licence if the premises are licensed to sell alcohol by retail and a senior member of the force has given a certificate to state that in their opinion the premises are associated with serious crime, disorder or both. An interested party or relevant authority who made relevant representations may appeal against the granting of a licence or against any condition, variation, licensable activity or premises supervisor decisions. Appeals are made to a Magistrates' court within 21 days of notice of the decision. |
| Trade Associations | |
Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU) | |
To download the forms follow the correct link below.Once the form is open, select file --> save as, and then give the form a memorable name, and save onto your computer. You can then open the file, or print it out and fill it in.
