Premises licences

A premises licence is a permanent licence for a specific location. It allows:

• the sale of alcohol
• regulated entertainment
• the sale of hot food and drink between 11pm and 5am

You’ll need a premises licence for one-off events expecting 500 people or more.

For smaller time-limited events, you can apply for a Temporary Event Notice instead.

Eligibility criteria

You can apply for a premises licence if you are:

• running a business at the premises
• a recognised club
• a charity
• a health service body
• registered under the Care Standards Act 2000 (for an independent hospital)
• a chief police officer
• carrying out a statutory function under the Royal Prerogative
• from an educational institution
• or another permitted person

You must be at least 18 years old and have the right to live and work in the UK.

Making an application

Before applying, read:

• Guidance for Applicants
• Council’s Statement of Licensing Policy

You must submit a completed application form and a suitable premises plan.

Applications can be made online.

Your application must include:

• a completed operating schedule
• the correct fee based on the non-domestic rateable value of the premises (check with the Valuation Office Agency)

There is a 28-day consultation period. If no objections are received, the licence will be granted.
If objections are received, your application will go to a Licensing Sub-Committee Hearing.

Tacit consent applies if you haven’t heard from the council within 40 days, you may act as though your application has been granted.

Making changes to a premises licence

You can apply to make changes to your licence, including:

• altering the layout of the premises
• adding new licensable activities
• extending the hours of existing licensable activities
• updating or removing licence conditions

For minor changes that won’t impact licensing objectives, apply for a Minor Variation.

For significant changes (such as selling alcohol for longer hours or changing the nature of the business), you must apply for a Full Variation.

If the changes are substantial and completely alter the nature of the business, you may need to apply for a new premises licence.

Change of ownership

If the business changes ownership, the new owner must apply to transfer the licence. The previous licence holder will usually need to give written consent.

If the licence holder has died or become insolvent, you must apply to transfer the licence within 28 days to prevent it from lapsing. Alternatively, submit an Interim Authority Notice within 28 days to keep the licence active for a further 3 months while a new owner is found.