Premises Licence Guidance Notes
The Licensing Act 2003 amalgamated the separate licences for cinemas, theatres, public entertainment, late night refreshment and justices liquor licences and replaced them with a single premises licence which can cover the sale of alcohol, the provision of regulated entertainment and the provision of late night refreshment.
A person aged 18 years or over who carries on, or proposes to carry on, a business which involves the use of the premises for any of the licensable activities, can apply for a single premises licence to cover all the licensable activities they wish to carry on.
An applicant must produce:
- A completed Application for a premises licence [328kb]. Applicants are advised to read the Guidance Notes for Premises Licence [103kb] on completing the application.
- A plan of the premises, which must:
(a) be drawn to standard scale of 1:100cm, unless NFDC have confirmed that the use
of an alternative scale is acceptable;
(b) show 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;
(c) show the location of points of access to and egress from the premises;
(d) show, if different from (c) above, the location of escape routes from the premises;
(e) in a case where the premises is to be used for more than one licensable activity,
show the area within the premises used for each activity;
(f) show 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;
(g) show, 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;
(h) show, in a case where the premises includes any steps, stairs, elevators or lifts, the
location of the steps, stairs, elevators or lifts;
(i) show, in a case where the premises includes and room or rooms containing public
conveniences, the location of the room or rooms;
(j) show the location and type of any fire safety and any other safety equipment
including, if applicable, marine safety equipment; and,
(k) show the location of a kitchen, if any, on the premises
The plan may include a legend through which the matters mentioned above are sufficiently illustrated by the use of symbols on the plan.
- The appropriate fee
- If the application requests authorisation to sell alcohol, a form containing the consent of the proposed designated premises supervisor.
A designated premises supervisor (DPS) is the person who, identified as such for a particular premises, is named on the premises licence.Any premises where alcohol is supplied under a premises licence must have a DPS. The DPS will not necessarily be the premises licence holder, although this may sometimes be the case.It is expected that they will be the point of contact for the premises.
Any application for a premises licence must also include the completed form of consent given by the individual whom the applicant wishes to have specified in the premises licence as the DPS
You will be required to advertise your application as follows:
- By displaying a Example Notice for Premises [51kb] prominently at or on the premises to which the application relates where it can be conveniently read from the exterior of the premises and in the case of a premises covering an area of more than fifty metres square, a further notice in the same form and subject to the same requirements every fifty metres along the external perimeter of the premises abutting any highway by the public for a period of not less then 28 consecutive days (starting on the day after the day on which the application was served on us). The Notice must be:
(i) of a size equal or larger than A4;
(ii) of a pale blue colour; and
(ii) printed legibly in black ink or typed in black in a font of a size equal to or larger
- By publishing a Notice [60kb]:
(i) in a local newspaper or, if there is none, in a local newsletter, circular or similar
document, circulating in the vicinity of the premises;
(ii) on a least one occasion during the period of 10 working days starting on the day
after the day on which the application was given to the relevant licensing authority
An operating schedule will form part of the completed application form for a premises licence. It should include information which is necessary to enable any responsible authority or interested party to assess whether the steps to be taken to promote licensing objectives are satisfactory.
The completed schedule will include a statement of the following matters:
(a) the relevant licensable activities;
(b) the times during which it is proposed that the relevant licensable activities are to take
(c) any other times during which it is proposed that the premises are to be open to the
(d) where the applicant wishes the licence to have effect for a limited period, that period;
(e) where the relevant licensable activities include the supply of alcohol prescribed
information in respect of the individual whom the applicant wishes to have specified
in the premises licence as the premises supervisor;
(f) where the relevant licensable activities include the supply of alcohol, whether the
are proposed to be for consumption on the premises or off the premises, or both;
(g) the steps which it is proposed to take to promote the licensing objectives; and
(h) such other matters as may be prescribed.
Any individual preparing an operating schedule is at liberty to volunteer any measure as a
step which they intend to take to promote the four licensing objectives. These are then
incorporated into the licence as conditions; they then become enforceable under the Act
and a breach of such could give rise to prosecution.
Further guidance on this subject can be found within our Licensing Policy 2011 - 2016 [284kb]
The licence will not be time limited (unless requested), nor subject to renewal.
On the same day you serve the application on New Forest District Council you must also serve a complete copy of the application, to each of the Responsible Authorities Document [105kb]
Hearing on an application will only occur where representations from interest parties or responsible authorities are made. Interested parties are personas living within the vicinity of the premises, businesses within the vicinity of the premises or bodies or persons representing those interested parties.