Premises licence

You will need a premises licence if you want to: 

• sell alcohol by retail 
• provide regulated entertainment (such as recorded music, a play or an indoor sporting event) 
• provide hot food and drinks between 11pm and 5am 

You will also need a premises licence if you are organising an event that is likely to attract over 500 people. You still need a licence even if the event or activity is for charity. 

If your event is for less than 500 people, please refer to our section on Temporary Event Notices (TENs). 

Please read and understand the requirements set out on this page and the Home Office guidance before you submit an application for a licence. We cannot proceed with your application unless you give us all the information we need. 

Licence applications are always considered against the four licensing objectives set out in the Licensing Act 2003.

This includes: 

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

We strongly recommend that you seek professional licensing advice from a solicitor or licensing consultant before submitting your form. This is to avoid having your application rejected as invalid. 

Alternatively, we can provide you with help prior to your submission via our pre-application advice service. Please note this does not pre-determine the outcome of any application. 

We can provide advice and assistance in completing the application form including: 

• appropriate conditions 
• drawing up plans 
• nominating an appropriate Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) where applicable 
• advertising and statutory notices 

Fees

The cost of our pre-application service is detailed within our fees and charges booklet. 

Prices and fees for premises licences are based on the rateable value of your premises, from Bands A to E. Check your rateable value on the GOV.UK website.

• legislation.gov.uk website - Licensing Act 2003
• Licensing Act 2003 - statement of licensing policy 2021-25

Your application must include the following details: 

• an operating schedule 
• a site plan of the premises   
• the address of the premises 

If you plan to sell alcohol, you will also need to include a form of consent from the premises supervisor. 

When you receive confirmation from us that your application is valid, you must also do the following: 

• display a notice outside the premises for 28 days (you must print this on pale blue paper)
• give public notice of your application in a local newspaper within 10 working days of the application

Consultation period  

Once we receive your application, we will start a 28 day public consultation period. 

We will notify and consult with: 

• Planning 
• The Fire Authority 
• The Police 
• Trading Standards 
• Environmental Health 
• Director of Public Health 
• Home Office Immigration Enforcement 

All of the responsible authorities listed above or any other person can make a representation about an application within the 28 day consultation period.  

We must allow 28 days for objections to be made. If we receive any objections, the application will be referred to our Licensing Committee for determination. 

If we do not receive any relevant representations against your application, we will grant the licence once the consultation period ends.

How long the licence is valid for

We grant premises licences for the lifetime of your business, dependent on the annual fee being received, or unless we state otherwise. However, we can revoke or suspend your licence if you breach the terms of your licence. 

You can also surrender a licence, if you want to. 

If you want to vary, transfer or change a designated premises supervisor (DPS), you need to submit an application form via the button on this page.