Leisure, Tourism and Hospitality
Licensing Application Process
Key stages
Key stages in the licence application process include:
- Meeting you, and ideally seeing the premises, to take instructions
- Putting together a draft application
- Submitting the application to the licensing authority as a draft. It is then forwarded to the various departments
- Submission of a formal application once the various statutory bodies have agreed it and then waiting for the licence to be issued
- A notice of the application must be advertised on the outside of the premises, for at least 28 days, and an advertisement placed in the local newspaper. This is usually done as soon as the application is formally submitted
Timescales
The licensing application process takes a minimum of one month, but on average will be complete within two months, assuming it is straightforward. Where there are objections to the licensing application or other complications, the process can be much longer.
Our fees
Licensing applications are provided on a fixed fee basis as follows:
| Description | Cost |
| New premises licence or club premises certificate | £2,500 – £3,000 plus VAT |
| Full variation of the licence such as change of hours, extension of licensable activities, change of licensed area | £1,500-£2,000 plus VAT |
| Minor variation | £750-£1,000 plus VAT |
| Change of DPS | £750 plus VAT |
Included in the fees above for a new premises licence or variation of licence are:
- premises visit; and
- meeting with you and putting in a draft application to the police and/or Local Authority to get their views prior to submitting a full application
Exclusions and additional costs
Excluded from the fees above are any costs incurred for dealing with any objections.
Should attendance at a hearing of the licensing authority be required, a barrister would be instructed – we would always agree their fees with you in advance.
Other costs would include (estimated):
| Description | FEE + VAT |
|---|---|
| Mandatory local paper advertising | £500-£650 |
| Surveyor’s cost for drawing up plans for the licensed area. The price will be dependent on the premises but an estimate is: | £1,000-£1,500 |
| Licensing Application Fee | £100-£1,905 |
