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Licence applications under Licensing Act 2003


 

Licence applications under Licensing Act 2003

Apply for a licence online

New online licensing service for businesses and residents

Businesses can now apply for a variety of licences issued by the Council. Everyone will be able to see lists of the new public applications made online (although currently not those made through the post), and make representations on them where appropriate.

Please note not all licences can be applied for using this system.

Please check through the list below to confirm the licence you require is available online. For those not included, please see the licences and permits section for further information on how to apply.

Make an application online by following the link below. This will take you to the Regalion system, which we are working in partnership with to provide this service.

    The following are the licence types that you can apply for online:
  • Licensing Act 2003 – premises licence (including plays, films, indoor sports, live music, recorded music, dance performances, music facilities, dancing facilities, late night refreshment, alcohol off-sales, alcohol on-sales and adult entertainment)
  • Licensing Act 2003 – personal licence

This system has been developed as part of the Planning & Regulatory Services Online National Project (PARSOL).

Personal licences

You must apply to the local authority in whose area you live, not where you work, this may not be Tower Hamlets. Schedule 3 of these forms is the disclosure of convictions and declaration.

What information do I need to include with the application?

The specified fee (£37), two photographs (one endorsed), proof of a recognised qualification, and a criminal record bureau check (originals only please.) We can advise you further in relation to this if you need help. Please note that criminal record bureau certificates are only valid for one month.

The rules for the photographs are very specific, so you need to make sure you have complied with them. The photograph must be:

  • Taken against a light background so that the applicants features are distinguishable and contrast against the background
  • The size to be 45 millimetres by 35 millimetres
  • The photograph must be full face uncovered and without sunglasses or head covering (unless worn due to religious belief)
  • on photographic paper.

Where do I send the forms?

To the Licensing Authority.

Application form

As well as the photographs you will need a qualification approved by the Secretary of State

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Premises Licences

Application for a premises licence

What fee do I pay?

You need to know the business rate for your premises, as otherwise you cannot calculate the correct fee.

You can find these at www.voa.gov.uk

Alternatively, you contact your local office on 020 7441 7000. Also, to help you attached as Appendix 1 (PDF 53k) is an explanation of the fees regime and worked examples.

What information do I need to put on the application form?

  • Complete all of the application form
  • Don’t forget to fill in the operating Schedule-make clear licensable activities and any limitations
  • Detail how you will ensure compliance with the four licensing objectives. All the responsible authorities will look at this and you should discuss any problems with them before you make an application
  • You must nominate a premises supervisor if you are selling alcohol. This person must hold a personal licence by the time that you want to supply alcohol on the second appointed day. They must sign a DPS licensing consent form (PDF 37k)
  • Don’t forget to (all) sign the application form where required!

You are also normally expected to have planning permission for your proposal, so I suggest you speak to our planning colleagues if you are at all unsure on this point.

Where do I send the forms?

The Licensing Authority and all the Responsible Authorities

Is there any other information I must send with the forms?

Yes-for the Licensing Authority you must enclose:

  • The correct fee: (Appendix 1). Cheques to be made payable
    to the London Borough of Tower Hamlets,

For the Licensing Authority and all the Responsible Authorities

A plan of the premises, scale size 1:100. The plan must show the following:

  • The extent of the boundary of the building
  • External and internal walls of the building if relevant
  • If different from above, the perimeter of the premises
  • The positions of access to and egress from the premises including escape routes
  • If the premises is used for more than one existing licensable activity, the area within the premises used for each activity
  • In a case where an existing licensable activity relates to the supply of alcohol, the location or locations on the premises used for each activity
  • 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
  • Where a stage or raised area exists, the location of the steps, stairs, elevator or lifts
  • In a case where the premises includes any room or rooms containing public conveniences, the location of the room(s)
  • The location and type of any fire safety and any other safety equipment
  • The location of a kitchen, if any, on the premises
  • The plan may include a legend through which the matters mentioned or referred to above are sufficiently illustrated by the use of symbols on the plan.

Do I need to do anything else apart from complete the form?

Yes, you must advertise the application.

How do I advertise the application?

By way of a displaying a notice for not less than 28 consecutive days starting on the day after the day on which application was given to the licensing authority a notice must be displayed, and
you must publish a notice on a least one occasion in a local newspaper during the period of ten working days starting on the day on which the application was given to the relevant licensing authority. The advert can be any size or colour but must be readable.

Where do I display the Notice?

The notice must be prominently displayed at the premises to which it relates, where it can be conveniently read from the exterior of the premises. In the case of a premises that cover an area of more than 50 metres square, a further similar notice every 50 metres along the external premises abutting any highway shall be displayed.

Who do I get the notice from?

The notice has not been provided in the Regulations to the Act but, the specifications have and you must produce your notice comprising of the following; (to assist you I have attached an example notice.)

The notice must be:

  • Equal to or larger than A4
  • Pale blue in colour
  • Printed legibly in black ink or typed in black in a font of a size at least equal to size16
  • Briefly describe the proposed application/ variation. For example the sale of alcohol, and /or regulated entertainment and /or late night refreshment, with hours specified, that is, Monday to Sunday from 11am to 11pm. If there are non-standard hours, such as bank holidays, then this should be briefly mentioned. The hours the premises are open to the public are not required to be shown. Where the variation is not for the hours then briefly explain what the variation is for. If you are removing an existing licence condition then briefly describe the condition.
  • The name of the applicant
  • The postal address of the premises
  • The postal address of the licensing authority where the register is kept and when the record of the application can be viewed at Licensing Section, Mulberry Place (AH), PO BOX 55739, 5 Clove Crescent, London E14 1BY. From -10 00 hrs and 16 00 hrs Monday to Friday inclusive.)

Who are the responsible authorities?

The Responsible Authorities are contained in

Application form - Premises licence

Please note the following public notice must be printed in pale blue.

Application form - Premises variation

The procedure to vary the premises licence is the same as a new premises licence, however the forms are different as follows:

Where you want to substantially vary the physical premises, you should apply for a new premises licence

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Application to vary a premises licence to specify the Designated Premises Supervisor

What fee do I pay?
The fee is £23

What information do I need to include with the application form?

  • The consent form completed by the proposed premises supervisor
  • The premises licence, or the relevant part of it or an explanation

Where Do I send copies of the forms?

To the chief officer of the Police and the existing premises supervisor (if any).

This form is for when you want to change the designated premises supervisor

Application form

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Application to transfer a premises licence

What fee do I pay?
The fee is £23

What information do I need to include with the application form?

  • The consent form signed by the existing premises licence holder or a statement as to why it is not enclosed
  • The premises licence, or the relevant part of it or an explanation

Where do I send copies of the forms?

To the chief officer of the Police and the existing premises supervisor (if any).

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Club Premises Certificate

Section 62 The general conditions:

(1) The general conditions which a club must satisfy if it is to be a qualifying club in relation to a qualifying club activity are the following.

(2) Condition 1 is that under the rules of the club persons may not-

(a) be admitted to membership, or
(b) be admitted, as candidates for membership, to any of the privileges of membership,

without an interval of at least two days between their nomination or application for membership and their admission.

(3) Condition 2 is that under the rules of the club persons becoming members without prior nomination or application may not be admitted to the privileges of membership without an interval of at least two days between their becoming members and their admission.

(4) Condition 3 is that the club is established and conducted in good faith as a club (see section 63).

For procedures see premises licence as above. You will need the following forms for a Club Premises Certificate licence application.

Application form

The procedure for a club premises licence is the same as a new premises licence

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Vary club premises certificate

The procedure to vary the club premises licence is the same as a new premises licence.

Application form

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Review of Licences

This application to review must to the following licensing objective(s)

  • the prevention of crime and disorder
  • the prevention of public nuisance
  • public safety
  • the protection of children from harm

To review a licence, you must be one of the following:

  • A person living in the vicinity of the premises
  • A body representing persons living in the vicinity of the premises
  • A person involved in business in the vicinity of the premises
  • A body representing persons involved in business in the vicinity of the premises
  • A responsible authority
  • A member of the club to which the application relates

Where Do I send the forms?

The Licensing Authority and all the Responsible Authorities contained in

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Temporary Events Notices

Applying for 'temporary' events and you are not a Personal Licence Holder you are limited to 5 events per calendar year (1st January to 31st December) although each event can last up to 96 hours (four days).

Personal licence holders can apply for a maximum of fifty TEN per calendar year.

A venue can hold up to 12 TENs per year, subject to a maximum aggregate duration of the periods covered by TENs at any individual premises of 15 days in any year.

For the purposes of determining the overall limits of 50 temporary event notices in a calendar year and of 5 for a non-personal licence holder (in a calendar year), temporary event notices given by an associate or a person who is in business with a premises user (and that business also involves carrying on licensable activities) counts towards these totals.

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Events for 499 Persons and Under

If the proposed event has an invited or expected attendance of no more than 499 persons, including staff, stewards, organisers and performers who will be present on the premises, the ACT requires that at least10 working days notice is given to the Local Authority.

The completed notice should be returned with any accompanying information, a photocopy of all and the relevant fee to the address given. Cheques to be made payable to the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
The licensing authority will endorse one of the two copies you send us and return it to you as an acknowledgement of receipt.

You should keep a copy of the completed notice for your records. For events under 500 capacity, an additional copy of the application must be sent to the Chief Officer of Police: Metropolitan Police, Tower Hamlets Division (HT), Licensing Section, 12 Victoria Park Square, London E2 9NZ.

Please note that a successful Temporary Event Notice application does not give you permission to use a premise / park.

Application form

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Events Over 500 person capacity

If the proposed event has an invited or expected attendance of more than 499 persons, You will need to apply for a premise licence. You will require forms for a premise licence. If you have not been sent these forms contact me urgently. The Act requires that at least two months notice and you will see from the application forms that the process is different to that of events under 500 capacity. See Procedure for a new Premises Licence above. Please note that the forms are the same.

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The following forms are also concerned with various aspects of the 2003 Licensing Act

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Find out how to apply for a licence on line

New online licensing service for businesses and residents

Businesses can now apply for a variety of licences issued by the Council. Everyone will be able to see lists of the new public applications made online (although currently not those made through the post), and make representations on them where appropriate.

Please note not all licences can be applied for using this system. Please check through the list below to confirm the licence you require is available online. For those not included, please see the licences and permits section for further information on how to apply.

Make an application online by following the link below (this will open in a new window and take you outside the Council’s website and into the Regalion system):

The following are the licence types that can be applied for:

  • Licensing Act 2003 – premises licence (including plays, films, indoor sports, live music, recorded music, dance performances, music facilities, dancing facilities, late night refreshment, alcohol off-sales, alcohol on-sales and adult entertainment)
  • Licensing Act 2003 – personal licence

This system has been developed as part of the Planning & Regulatory Services Online National Project (PARSOL).

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See also

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Online guide to business funding

Jobs with Tower Hamlets Council

 

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