What Is A Premises Licence?
A Premises License is granted by a Licensing Authority to permit one or more licensable activities to take place on the premises.
Premises do not have to be a physical building and a Premises License can be granted for:
- Moveable structures such as a beer tents and burger vans
- Opens spaces such as fields for festivals
- Vessels such as river/canal boats.
Once granted, a Premises Licence is valid indefinitely until such time as:
- The License is revoked
- The Premises License holder become incapacitated or becomes bankrupt
- The License is formally surrendered to the Licensing Authority
Who Can Apply For A Premises Licence?
A Premises Licence can be applied for by a person who is 18 years of age or older. However a Premises Licence can also be applied for and held by a company or business.
Most sales of alcohol are sales of alcohol by retail, regardless of the amount of alcohol purchased, and all sales will therefore require a Premises Licence and a Designated Premises Supervisor.
Some examples of venues where a Premises Licence is not required are:
- Alcohol sold by a brewery to a publican and his licensed premises.
- Alcohol sold by a distributor to the retail trade (e.g. by a distributor to a supermarket). • Alcohol sold by a cash and carry to a retailer.
-
Alcohol sold to a premises user who has given a Temporary Event Notice.
What is the application procedure?
The application for a Premises Licence is made to the Local Authority in the area where the venue will operate.
The application Consists of the following:
- Application Form (sent by post or electronically) • Floor plan of the premises
- Application Fee
On Application for a Premises Licence the application should show how the 4 Licensing Objectives will be promoted by the venue.
The applicant should also carry out the appropriate risk assessments to make sure that they comply with any speci c requirements:
- Fire Risk Assessment
- Police Risk Assessment
If the application can be completed electronically then only a copy to the Authority will need to be sent, however if it is a paper application then copies must be sent to each of the Responsible Authorities.
Those responsible authorities are:
- Police licensing officer.
- Fire officer.
- Health and safety officer.
- Environmental health of officer.
- Planning officer.
- Child protection.
- Trading standards (also known as Weights and Measures).
- Primary care trust or local health board.
There are a couple off additional authorities too
- British Waterways Board or the Environment Agency are contacted where the Application relates to a vessel.
- The Council Licensing Policy may specify details of the authorities who are to be given the Application and any additional policies which should also be considered.
Finally a Notice summarising the Application must be advertised in the local press and on the premises themselves. This Notice should include details of the premises, the licensable activities applied for, the proposed opening hours, where the Application can be viewed and contact details of the Licensing Authority.
Following a notice period the Licensing Authority will consider the Application.
How to get a Personal Licence
Thinking of applying for a Personal Licence? The Personal Licence Training Course teaches individuals about the law and legal responsibility of being a licence holder and is part of the process for obtaining a Personal Alcohol Licence.
Once you have passed the Personal Licence Course, you will then be able to apply for a Personal Licence.
