A Guide to Applying for a Licence Contents

A - Introduction

- Who needs a licence? ……………………………………………… 3

B - Premises Licence

- New applications (for those who don’t currently hold a licence) .. 5

- Plans ………………………………………………………… 6

- Operating Schedule ……………………………………….. 6

- Designated Premises Supervisor ………………………… 7

- Advertising (Site notices & advert) ………………………. 7

- Provisional Statements ……………………………………………. 9

- Full Variations ……………………………………………………… 9

- Advertising (Site notices & advert) ………………………. 7

- Minor Variations …………………………………………………… 10

- Advertising (Site notices & advert) ………………………. 11

- Application for a Designated Premises Supervisor …………….. 13

- Application for a Transfer ………………………………………….. 13

C - Club Premises Certificates

- Why a Club Premises Certificate differs from a Premises Licence? 14

- New applications for Club Premises Certificates ……………….. 15

- Plans ………………………………………………………… 6

- Operating Schedule ……………………………………….. 6

- Designated Premises Supervisor ………………………… 7

- Advertising (Site notices & advert) ………………………. 7

- Full Variations ……………………………………………………… 9

- Advertising (Site notices & advert) ………………………. 7

- Minor Variations …………………………………………………… 10

- Advertising (Site notices & advert) ………………………. 11

D - Cumulative Impact Policy

- What is it and what does it mean for me? …………………………. 16

E - Responsible Authorities and Interested Parties

- Consultation with Relevant Authorities - How do I decide who I should consult with? ……………………………………………………….. 18

- Interested Parties …………………………………………………. 20

F - Personal Licences

- Who can apply? ……………………………………………………… 22

- Application – New Licence Holders ………………………………... 22

G – What Happens Next?

- Hearings & representations ……………………………………….. 24

H – Appeal Procedure

- Refusal of an Application ………………………………………….. 25

- Responsible Authorities ..………………………………………….. 25

- Interested Parties ……….………………………………………….. 25

I - Fees

- Fees ………………………………………………………………………….. 26

J - And Finally

- And Finally…………………………………………………………………….. 29

If you require any explanation or advice regarding this guide please contact the Torbay Council on 01803 208025 or visit www.torbay.gov.uk

Section A -

A Guide to Applying for a Licence

Introduction

In November 2005, the Licensing Act 2003 superseded all the old liquor, entertainment and refreshment licences and replaced them with a single Premises Licence. Where alcohol is to be sold, someone who holds a Personal Licence must authorise the sale. There is also a new Club Premises Certificate for Qualifying Members Clubs and a notification process for small, short-term events, called a Temporary Event Notice. The Act also requires premises supplying hot food and drink from 11pm to 5am to be licensed.

Who needs a licence (Licensable activities)?

Under the Licensing Act 2003, a licence is required for premises where any of the following are provided:-

· Retail sale of alcohol (Premises Licence)

· Supply of alcohol (Club Premises Certificate)

· Performance of a play (unless in front of an audience of less than 500 people between 8am and 11pm)

· Exhibition of a film

· Indoor sporting events (unless in front of an audience of less than 1000 people between 8am and 11pm)

· Boxing or wrestling events (indoors or out)

· Performances of live music (unless in front of an audience of less than 250 people between 8am and 11pm)

· Performances of recorded music

· Dancing (unless in front of an audience of less than 500 people between 8am and 11pm)

· Supplying hot food or hot drink between 11 pm and 5 am

It should be noted that “premises” includes vehicles, vessels and moveable stalls.

Where the sale of alcohol is an authorised activity under the Licence, a Designated Premises Supervisor must be nominated to ensure that the premises operate properly. This person must be a Personal Licence holder and will authorise all alcohol sales in the premises. However they do not necessarily have to be present to ‘authorise’ that sale.

Torbay Council is the licensing authority for its area, dealing with all licensing functions relating to the above-mentioned activities. As part of the Council’s new responsibility it has prepared and published a Licensing Policy, which explains the factors that the Council will consider when examining applications for licences and for monitoring compliance with licence conditions. This policy also explains how the Council expects applicants to meet the national Licensing Objectives. These are:-

· Prevention of Crime and Disorder

· Protection of Children from Harm

· Public Safety

· Prevention of Public Nuisance

When determining applications for licences the Council can only consider matters that will impact on one or more of these objectives.

Premises licences, once granted, will last for the life of the business provided that there are no changes applied for, or it is reviewed, revoked or surrendered. It will therefore not need to be renewed annually, although an annual fee will be payable.

Torbay Licensing Authority must process your application before it can be granted. You cannot provide, operate, authorise or undertake the licensable activity without a Licence and submitting an application form does not guarantee that a Licence will be granted.

Please visit Torbay Councils website www.torbay.gov.uk/premiseslicence where you can view Torbay Councils Licensing Policy, or the policy can be viewed at a connections office during normal office hours.

The contents of these pages are provided as an information guide only. They are not a full and authoritative statement of the law and do not constitute professional or legal advice.

Section B - Premises Licence

New Applications (for those who don’t currently have a premises licence)

Premises licences, once granted, will last for the life of the business and therefore will not need to be renewed, although an annual fee will be payable (see section I).

To make an application, the following information needs to be submitted to the Licensing Authority:-

· An application for the granting of a new premises licence

· A plan of the premises (scale 1:100) – for more information please see below.

· An ‘operating schedule’ including details of the licensable activities; operating times; the designated ‘premises supervisor’ where supply of alcohol is requested; whether any alcohol is to be consumed on/off premises; and the steps which the licensee will take to promote the four licensing objectives. (This is part of the application form.)

· The fee (see Section I).

· A consent form from the designated premises supervisor (if alcohol is being sold).

· The application must be sent to the responsible authorities, unless the application is submitted electronically when the licensing authority must do this, (see section E).

· The application must be advertised (see below).

Please visit Torbay Councils website www.torbay.gov.uk/premiseslicence where you will find all the relevant application forms and site notices for a new, variation or minor variation application, or the application forms and site notices are available from a connections office during normal office hours.

Plan

Regulations state that the plan of the premises must be to scale.

The regulations specify the plan must show:-

a) the extent of the boundary of the building, if relevant, and any external and internal walls of the building and, if different, the perimeter of the premises;

b) the location of points of access to and egress from the premises;

c) if different from (b), the location of escape routes from the premises;

d) in a case where the premises is to be used for more than one licensable activity, the area within the premises used for each activity;

e) fixed structures (including furniture) or similar objects temporarily in a fixed location (but not furniture) which may impact on the ability of individuals on the premises to use exits or escape routes without impediment;

f) in a case where the premises includes a stage or raised area, the location and height of each stage or area relative to the floor;

g) in a case where the premises includes any steps, stairs, elevators or lifts, the location of the steps, stairs, elevators or lifts;

h) in the case where the premises includes any room or rooms containing public conveniences, the location of the room or rooms;

i) the location and type of any fire safety and any other safety equipment including, if applicable, marine safety equipment; and

j) the location of a kitchen, if any, on the premises.

The plan may be illustrated by the use of symbols on the plan with an appropriate key.

Operating Schedule

It is extremely important that an Operating Schedule is submitted with the application form. Without one, the application will be rejected. At section M on page 16 of the application form there are 5 boxes, which cover the Licensing Objectives. You must write down the actions and conditions that you intend to undertake to address the 4 licensing objectives. We have a list of ‘model conditions’ on the website, however this list has been produced as a guide only. Every licensed premises is different and the conditions attached to the licence should be considered on their own merits.

Designated Premises Supervisor

A Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) is the person identified on the premises licence as the person who supervises the premises. Any premises where alcohol is supplied under a premises licence must have a DPS. They will be named in the premises licence, a summary of which must be displayed on the premises.

The DPS will not necessarily be the premises licence holder, although this may sometimes be the case. They will be the point of contact for the premises at all times for licensing authorities, the Police or Fire Service if problems occur at the premises.

Advertisement of an application for a premises licence

or for the ‘full’ variation of a premises licence

In the case of an application for a premises licence, or an application for the full variation of a premises licence, the applicant must advertise the application on the premises and in the local press, in accordance with the following requirements:

Content of the Site Notice and the Press Notice

The press / site notice must include the following information:

a) The name of the applicant.

b) The postal address of the premises, or if there is no postal address for the premises, a description of those premises sufficient to enable the location and extent of the premises to be identified.

c) The postal address and the web address where the register of Torbay Licensing Authority is kept, (www.torbay.gov.uk) and where the record of the application may be inspected.

d) The last date by which an ‘Interested Party’ or Responsible Authority’ may make representations to the licensing authority. (This date must be twenty eight (28) consecutive days after the date, on which the application is submitted to Torbay Council’s Licensing Authority or the application was made on line).

e) A notification that representations shall be made in writing and should include the name and address of the interested party or responsible authority.

f) A notification that it is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with an application and that the maximum fine, for which a person is liable on summary conviction, is £5000.

g) A brief description of the proposed licensable activities, (or the proposed variation), to include for example; the times the premises will be open for the sale of alcohol, the supply of hot food, or the provision of regulated entertainment. All of the intended operating times do not need to be listed, but the earliest opening times and the latest closing times, should be shown.

Site Notice Requirements

a) The site notice must be printed on pale blue paper, of size A4 or greater.

b) The site notice must be printed legibly in black ink or typed in black, in a font size equal to or larger than 16.

c) The site notice must be correctly completed and prominently displayed at or on, the premises to which it relates.

d) The site notice must be displayed so that it can be conveniently read from the exterior of the premises by members of the public.

e) The site notice must be displayed for twenty eight (28) consecutive days; starting on the day after the day, on which the application, was submitted to Torbay Council’s Licensing Authority.

f) If any part of the external perimeter of the premises abuts a public highway, or other place accessible to the public, for a distance of one hundred (100) metres or more, then a copy of the site notice must be displayed at every fifty (50) metre interval.

Press Notice Requirements

a) The press notice must be published in a local newspaper circulating in the vicinity of the premises;

b) The press notice must be published on at least one occasion, during the period of ten working days, starting on the day after the day on which the application was given to Torbay Licensing Authority.

The contents of these pages are provided as an information guide only. They are not a full and authoritative statement of the law and do not constitute professional or legal advice.

Provisional Statements

Provisional Statements are explained in detail within the ‘Provisional Statements’ section of our website. Application forms for provisional statements can also be accessed through the website.

Provisional statements are for those who have an interest in premises, but don’t necessarily own the premises, or are not in a position to say that they intend to operate a business there. It could be that the individual or business applying for a provisional statement, wants to be sure that there isn’t any opposition to a particular proposal, before they spend large sums of money.

The application and consultation process for a ‘provisional statement’ is the same as for a ‘premises licence’ and under normal circumstances, a premises licence application will eventually follow on from the grant of a provisional statement; if the applicant intends to go ahead with the proposal.