Alcohol and entertainment licensing

Licensing Act 2003

A new licensing regime came into effect in November 2005, the overall aim of which was to modernise the legislation governing the sale or supply of alcohol and public entertainment licensing. In brief, it brings the control of the sale of alcohol, the provision of regulated entertainment and the provision of late night refreshments between the hours of 11pm and 5am under the control of local authorities.

What are the aims of the new licensing regime?

The Licensing Act 2003 and the licensing policy document together aim to promote four key objectives which must be addressed when any licensing functions are undertaken. These are:

• The prevention of crime and disorder
• Public safety
• The prevention of public nuisance
• The protection of children from harm

Statement of licensing policy - review and consultation  

Under the Act, the Council is required to develop, consult and publish a statement of licensing policy and review and republish it every three years. The policy details the principles that the Council will adhere to when exercising its licensing functions under the Act. The Council has approved a statement of licensing policy which covers the period 2011-14. The approval of the statement followed a full consultation exercise which invited comment from local statutory bodies and groups representing local residents and businesses. The statement of policy can be viewed here

What types of licence are there?

Personal licence

This is a portable licence granted to an individual enabling him/her to sell alcohol at a premises licensed for the sale of alcohol.

New applicants for a personal licence must be aged 18 or over and will need to hold an accredited licensing qualification. They must also provide a criminal conviction certificate or a criminal record certificate issued no more than one month previous to the application date. Further information and guidance notes can be viewed  at guidance notes 

Premises licence

This will be required by anyone wanting to allow certain licensable activities to take place at their premises - Premises Licence Holder (PLH).  The licence will specify the nature of the licensable activities and detail any conditions that apply.

Any premises licence that includes the sale of alcohol will require a ‘designated premises supervisor’ (DPS) to be specified as the person responsible for authorising the sale of alcohol. This person must hold a personal licence and will normally be whoever takes day to day responsibility for running the premises. Further information can be viewed at summary application requirements. A complete list of premises holding a licence can be found here.

Club premises certificate

This licence grants ‘qualifying club’ status to specific premises, in accordance to a number of qualifying conditions as detailed in Part 4, Sections 62 and 64 of the Act.  Further information can be viewed at summary application requirements.

Temporary Event Notice (TEN)

This makes provision to hold a temporary or occasional event without the need of a licence and requires the organiser to notify the police and local authority by issuing a Temporary Event Notice. This arrangement will cover small scale events that last less than four days and which will attract less than 499 people. Other further limitations with regards to such notices are detailed in Part 5, Section 107 of the Act.

How to apply for a licence

You can apply for the appropriate licence by downloading the relevant form from the related links section and then returning it to the Council's address given below or electronically through the UK Welcomes Service

Responsible Authorities

The application process for premises or club premises requires you to forward a copy of your application and other documents to various agencies named as ‘responsible authorities’. The addresses relevant to this authority are listed below:

List of responsible authorities

Enforcement

The Council has adopted a policy for carrying out its enforcement responsibilities under the Licensing Act.

Reviews of Premises Licences

Interested parties living or working in the vicinity of licensed premises or a responsible authority may apply to the relevant licensing authority for a review of that premises licence by the Licensing Applications Sub-Committee.

The application for a review must be based on real evidence (from witnesses or documents) that the premises fails to meet one or more of the licensing objectives and must relate to a matter under the control of the premises that could be solved or improved by changing the way the premises operates.

Where can I find further information about the Act?

Department of Culture, Media and Sport website

The links below contain details of the premises which have applied to vary an existing licence(s) and requests to review a premises licence. 

Applications received 2003 - 2009

Applications received 2010

Applications received 2011

Applications received 2012

Applications received 2013