Premises Licence

A premises licence is required if any business or other organisation that offers the following activities on a permanent basis:

  1. the sale or supply of alcohol (authorisation is required for any sale of alcohol under the 2003 Act)
  2. the provision of regulated entertainment (authorisation includes performance of plays, exhibition of films, indoor sporting events, boxing or wrestling or anything similar description to that falling within live music, recorded music and performance of dance) 
  3. the provision of late night refreshment (authorisation of hot food and drink between the hours of 11pm and 5am).

This generally include businesses such as pubs, night clubs, restaurants, cafes, cinemas, theatres, hotels, off licences and late night food takeaways. Open spaces, stationary vehicles, vessels and stalls may also be considered as designated venue if used for licensable activities.

Premises licences do not have expiry dates unless they are revoked, lapsed or otherwise surrendered. Short term premises licences can also be applied for large outdoor events or festivals.

A licence may not always be required for regulated entertainment following the deregulation of entertainment by the Live Music Act 2012. View the entertainment licensing guidelines

Any establishment where alcohol is sold or supplied under a premises licence must have a nominated Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS). This is the person in charge of the premises on day-to-day basis. A DPS must have a personal licence but will not necessarily be the premises licence holder. If problems arise at the premises it is expected that the DPS will be the point of contact for all responsible authorities such as the licensing, police or fire service.

 

Who is eligible to apply?

Any of the following may apply for a premises licence:

  • anyone who carries on a business in the premises to which the application relates
  • a recognised club (which does not hold a club premises certificate)
  • a charity
  • a health service body
  • a person who is registered under the Care Standards Act 2000 in relation to an independent hospital
  • a chief police officer of a force in England and Wales
  • anyone discharging a statutory function under Her Majesty's prerogative
  • a person from an educational institute or
  • any other prescribed person
  • applicants must not be under 18 years of age.

Applications must be made to the authority and in following prescribed format:

  • Application for a premises licence
  • Operating schedule
  • Plan of the premises
  • Form of consent from the premises supervisor (only relevant to alcohol, click consent to be designated to access the online form)
  • Right to work in the UK
  • A statutory fee. Fee is based on the Non-Domestic Rateable Value (NDRV). Find out the NDRV of the premises and the fee band that apply.

Application fees are non-refundable if an application is withdrawn or rejected.

Before applying for a Premises Licence, please read the licensing policies including the Council's Statement of Licensing Policy and the Home Office s.182 Statutory Guidance to understand how these may impact on your application being successful.

 

Please note: There are circumstances when, as a condition of planning permission, a terminal hour has been set for the use of premises for commercial purposes. Where these hours are different to the licensing hours being applied for or granted, the applicant must observe the earlier closing time. Premises operating in breach of their planning permission would be liable to prosecution under planning law.”

Apply for a premises licence

More information on premises licence including alcohol can be found on the GOV.UK website.

 

SAG for large-scale events

Most large outdoor events which include licensable activities will require to be authorised by a premises licence.  The authority advise event organisers to contact the Safety Advisory Group as part of the event planning process. As it is a multi-agency body that can obtain advice from many of the statutory bodies with responsibility for public safety including the police, environmental health, fire and ambulance services, the highways authority and other partners.

 

The premises operating schedule will outline details of:

  • The licensable activities
  • The times when the activities will take place
  • Any other times when the premises will be open to the public
  • In the case of applicants who wish to have a limited licence, the period the licence is required for
  • Information in respect of the premises supervisor
  • Whether any alcohol that is to be sold is for consumption on or of the premises or both
  • The steps proposed to be taken to promote the licensing objectives
  • Any other required information

The layout plan of the premises will include details of:

  • a scale no smaller than 1:100
  • the premises boundary and all internal and external walls
  • the location of all entrances, exits and escape routes
  • where the premises is to be used for more than one licensable activity, the area(s) within the premises to be used for each
  • areas to be used for the consumption of alcohol
  • fixed structures (including furniture) which may restrict the use of exits or escape routes
  • the location and height of any stage
  • the location of any steps, stairs, elevators or lifts
  • lavatories
  • the location and type of any fire safety equipment or other safety equipment and
  • any kitchen

It is a criminal offence to carry out unlicensed activities and if convicted, a person could be given a fine and a six-month prison sentence.

The application will be considered valid only when all required information and documentations including the appropriate fee have been received.

If you are applying for a premises licence you must have the right to work in the UK. Evidence of this must be supplied with the application. If you fail to provide the necessary evidence the authority will have to reject your application.

Read the guidance notes for entitlement to work for individual applicants.

On 1 April 2017 it became a requirement that anyone purchasing alcohol wholesale is required to check that the wholesaler they are buying from is approved on the Alcohol Wholesaler’s Registration Scheme (AWRS) operated by HM Revenue and Customs. 

You can check your UK wholesaler is AWRS approved by using the online alcohol wholesalers register. You will need your wholesalers unique reference number (URN), which should be displayed on their invoice. Speak to your wholesaler if you can’t find their URN. Once you find your wholesaler on the register, keep a record of your check by printing off or saving the page to confirm that they are approved. HMRC may ask you for those details at a later date.

If you are unable to find your wholesaler on the register, tell them that they need to contact HMRC for approval. You should not buy alcohol from them and should notify HMRC by searching for Customs, Excise and VAT fraud reporting on GOV.UK. Any business found buying alcohol from a non-registered UK wholesaler could have their alcohol stock seized, be fined or even prosecuted. GOV.UK gives further guidance about the scheme.

The sale by retail of alcohol is a licensable activity and may only be carried out in accordance with an authorisation under the 2003 Act. A person cannot sell alcohol from a vehicle or moveable structure at a series of different locations (e.g. house to house) unless there is a premises licence in respect of the vehicle or moveable structure at each location at which a sale of alcohol is made in, on or from it. 

The place where the order for alcohol or payment for it, takes place may not be the same as the place where the alcohol is appropriated to the contract (i.e. the place where it is identified and specifically set apart for delivery to the purchaser). This position can arise when sales are made online, by telephone or mail order.

Section 190 of the 2003 Act provides that the sale of alcohol is to be treated as taking place where the alcohol is appropriated to the contract.

It will be the premises at this location which need to be licensed for example, a call centre receiving orders for alcohol would not need a licence but the warehouse where the alcohol is stored and specifically selected for, and despatched to, the purchaser would need to be licensed. These licensed premises will, as such, be subject to conditions including the times of day during which alcohol may be sold. The premises licence will also be subject to the mandatory licence conditions. 

A Person who run premises providing ‘alcohol delivery services’ should notify the relevant licensing authority that they are operating such a service in their operating schedule.

This ensures that the licensing authority can properly consider what conditions are appropriate. Premises with an existing premises licence, which choose to operate such a service in addition to their existing licensable activities, should contact the authority for its view on whether this form of alcohol sale is already permitted or whether an application to vary the licence will be required.

This authority has a duty to protect the public funds it administers and to that end, the information you supply on the licensing applications may be used to prevent and identify fraud. For these objectives, the authority may also share your information with other authorities responsible for purposes of auditing or administering public monies. Refer to our privacy notice for more information.

There are also various policies should be considered before submitting an application, view the adopted licensing policies. 

The authority will review the application and contact the applicant if additional information is required.

If no documents are missing or additional information is required from applicant, the authority will send a copy of the electronic application to the appropriate authorities for consultation.

You are recommended to contact the authority before displaying the statutory notice(s) or advertising your application in a local paper. For new premises licence applications under the Licensing Act 2003 applicants must display a notice in the prescribed format that must be displayed on the premises so as to be read from the outside for a period of 28 days starting from the application date. The display notice must be on A4 paper and be pale blue in colour. A notice with the same information must also be displayed in a local newspaper that circulates in the area of the premises within 10 days from the application date. The statutory blue notice must be repeated every 50m for large premises. The 28 day consultation period will be reset and the publication will need to be re-advertised in the newspaper if the prescribed wording specified in the statutory blue notice and/or newspaper advertisement is not used. Any deviation from this requirement will not be accepted as compliant with the legislation. Therefore, please ensure that the prescribed wording stipulated on the Redbridge Licensing Authority website is used for new premises licence applications.

View the statutory blue notice (PDF 11KB) which must be displayed at or on the premises in the format prescribed by the authority. The authority will display a summary copy of the application under Members Licensing Bulletin during the consultation period.

View the template for a newspaper advertisement notice (PDF 17KB) that must be published in a local newspaper.

Fill out and return the newspaper advertisement confirmation (PDF 17KB) form.

Representations can be in support or against an application and must be based on one or more of the four licensing objectives.

If you wish to make a representation on a licence application view the representation guidelines.

If any representations are made to any submitted application, the authority will contact the applicant to notify them of the next stage of the process.

If no representations are received the licensing authority will grant the application, subject only to any conditions that are consistent with the operating schedule, any conditions agreed between parties and relevant mandatory conditions.

A hearing must be held if any relevant representations are made in respect of the application or unless the representation or application is withdrawn. If a hearing is held the licence may be granted or granted with conditions, the licensable activities applied for in the application may be excluded or the application may be refused. The licensing authority will serve a notice of its decision on the applicant and any person who has made relevant representations.

View the licensing applications under consideration by our Licensing Committee as well as the decisions committee have made.

You may appeal a licensing hearing decision to the Magistrates Court within 21 days of receiving notice of the decision.

We provide pre-application advice to assist you with your licensing application under the Licensing Act 2003. Register your interest in our pre-application advice service.

Yes. If an application for a premises licence has been made lawfully and there have been no representations from responsible authorities or other persons before the end of the consultation period. 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 . The Council's target completion date is 40-days after the authority and the responsible authorities have received your valid application for premises licence under the Licensing Act 2003.

If a premises licence or summary is lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed, the registered licence holder can request a replacement copy by completing and returning the prescribed form (PDF 370KB) along with £10.50 fee.

If you are the registered licence holder and your name or address has changed, notify the authority using the prescribed form.

A statutory fee of £10.50 is subject for each request.

At present we encourage all applicants to make electronic applications via the online portal.

Postal application is available by downloading and filling out the application forms by hand, making payment then scanning and emailing the application along with the payment to Licensing.Authority@redbridge.gov.uk, please contact the authority for copies of postal forms.

Any applications received without the required information and documentation including payment will be invalid for consideration by the authority.

If you're having trouble with the electronic PDF, it might be because you're using an older version of Windows, Server, or a device that's not compatible, among other system issues. We recommend updating to the latest version of Adobe Reader or using the latest Windows Server or other compatible operating system. This will help you access and submit an electronic application via the online portal.