What is a Premises Licence?

You must have a Premises Licence if you wish to sell alcohol or provide regulated entertainment or late night refreshment. You also need to have a Designated Premises Supervisor (Personal Licence holder) named on the licence, to permit you to sell alcohol under the terms of the Premises Licence. Since the Licensing Act 2003 came into force in November 2005 a new system of Personal and Premises Licence has been set up, enforced by the Local Authority, rather than the Court. Today, all new premises licence applications must be accompanied by a scaled plan of the premises. Within The scaled plan it must indicate the areas of where alcohol is going to be sold, fire exits, fire warning systems, fire fighting equipment, fire codes and CCTV.

The plan will incorporate the following:

• The boundary of the building, if relevant, and any external and internal walls of the building and, if different, the perimeter of the premises
• Points of access and exits from the premises, and the location of escape routes if different
• Where the premises is to be used for more than one licensable activity, the area within 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 exits and escape routes
• The location and height of any stage or raised area or area relative to the floor
• Any steps, stairs, elevators or lifts
• Any room or rooms containing public conveniences
• The location of a kitchen, if any, on the premises.
• The plan may include symbols to illustrate such matters, and a key to explain them.