Premises Licences
Licence Summary
To provide late-night refreshments and regulated entertainment, and sell alcohol, you need a licence from the Licensing Authority if you are in England and Wales.
Eligibility Criteria
Any of the following may apply for a premises licence:
- anyone who carries on a business in the premises to which the application relates;
- a recognised club;
- a charity;
- a health service body;
- a person who is registered under the Care Standards Act 2000 in relation to an independent hospital;
- a chief police officer of a force in England and Wales;
- anyone discharging a statutory or function under Her Majesty's prerogative;
- a person from an educational institute;
- any other permitted person.
Applicants must not be under 18 years of age.
Regulation Summary
A summary of the regulation relating to this licence are available here.
Application Evaluation Process
Applications can be made either in writing or via our online application system. Applications that are made in writing must be in a specific format and be accompanied by the required fee, plans (if applicable) and any other relevant documentation. To view the requirements of the plans please click here. For new and full variation applications an operating schedule will also be required which is included in the application form. An operating schedule will include details of:
- the licensable activities;
- the times when the activities will take place;
- any other times when the premises will be open to the public;
- information in respect of the premises supervisor;
- whether any alcohol that is to be sold is for consumption on or off the premises or both;
- the steps proposed to be taken to promote the licensing objectives;
- any other required information.
For new, provisional statements or full variation applications a notice must be displayed on the premises for a period of 28 consecutive days starting from the day after the day the application is made to the Licensing Authority. The Notice must be to the specified size and colour (light blue).
A notice must also be displayed in a local newspaper circulating in the area to which the premises relate. The notice must contain the same information as the notice on the premises. It must be displayed in the newspaper within 10 days from the day the application is made. The notice only has to appear once in the local paper. Please note that if the requirements of these notices are not met the Licensing Authority may require you to re-advertise and the 28 day consultation period will recommence.
A notice is also required for a minor variation application. The notice must meet the statutory requirements and be no smaller than A4 size on white paper. However, unlike full variations the consultation period is reduced for these applications. The notice has to be displayed on the premises for a period of 10 consecutive days from the day after the application is made. No newspaper public notice is required for minor variations. Further guidance issued by the government on minor variations is available here.
The authority has produced a template for the public notices which can be downloaded and completed electronically.
- New premises licence application public notice template.
- Provisional statement application public notice template.
- Variation (full) of a premises licence public notice template.
- Variation (minor) of a premises licence public notice template.
A statutory fee is payable upon application. To view the Licensing Act 2003 fees click here. The minor variation fee is £89.
The Secretary of State has produced Guidance under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003. To view this guidance click here. The Licensing Authority when considering any application will have regard to this guidance.
As a requirement of the Act the Licensing Authority has produced a Licensing Policy that will be used by the authority when determining applications. To view the Council's Licensing Policy click here.
Will Tacit Consent Apply?
Yes - for the following applications made online and is unopposed at the end of the consultation period. This means that you will be able to act as though your application is granted if you have not heard from the local authority by the end of the target completion period. The Council's target completion period for Licensing Act 2003 premises licence applications are listed below:
- New, provisional and full variation applications - 40 days
- All other application types* - 30 days
*Minor variation applications will not be given tacit authorisation as by law they will be automatically refused if the authority has not determined the application after 15 days from receipt.
Apply Online
You can apply for a new premises licence, provisional statement or interest in a licensed premises, or vary an existing licence please click on the relevant link below.
The government has produced guidance to applicants for online applications made under the Licensing Act 2003 which is available here. The applicant is not required to send copies of their application to responsible authorities if the application is made using the online application process.
NOTE: Please note that when you click on one of the above links you will be redirected to the governments Business Link website. If you don't have a Government Gateway account you will need to create one before you can proceed to the relevant form. If you already have a Government Gateway account you will be invited to log in prior to completing the application. This account is necessary as it will ensure that your details are pulled through to the relevant form and will enable you to track your applications once they've been submitted.
Apply Via Post
If you wish to apply for a new premises licence, provisional statement or interest in a licensed premises, or vary an existing licence please download the relevant form below and complete them in full.
- Application for a new premises licence.
- Application for a provisional statement.
- Application to vary a premises licence (full).
- Application to vary a premises licence (minor).
- Application to transfer a premises licence.
- Consent of premises licence holder to transfer of a licence.
- Application to vary the premises licence to specify an individual as a DPS.
- Consent of individual to being specified as DPS.
- Interim authority notice.
- Notification of an interest in a licensed premises.
Once they have been completed they must be sent to the licensing authority, accompanied by the relevant fee and any required documentation at the address:
Licensing Service, Westminster City Hall, 4th Floor, 64 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6QP.
Please note that unlike online applications the applicant is required to send copies of their applications to the relevant responsible authorities. The table below details which responsible authorities must receive copies of the application form.
| Application | Responsible Authority to be consulted |
|---|---|
| New Premises Licence. | All |
| New Provisional Statement. | All |
| Variation of premises licence (full). | All |
| Variation of premises licence (minor). | None* |
| Transfer of premises licence. | Police only |
| Vary the licence to specify an individual as the designated premises supervisor (DPS). | Police only |
| Interim Authority Notice | Police only |
| Notification of interest in a premises | None |
| *The licensing authority will consult those responsible authorities it considers necessary. |
The addresses for all of the responsible authorities are available here.
If you have any questions relating to the application process or how to complete the forms please contact the Licensing Service on 020 7641 8549 or email general.licensing@westminster.gov.uk.
Register
A public register is available online. If you wish to view the Council's online register please click here. You can also view a copy of the register at the Council's Offices during normal office hours. To make an appointment to view the registers please contact the Licensing Service on 020 7641 8548 or alternatively email licensing.vsw1@westminster.gov.uk.
Failed Application Redress
If an application for a licence is refused the failed applicant can appeal.
Appeals are made to the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court, 70 Horseferry Road, London SW1P 2AX within 21 days of notice of the decision.
Licence Holder Redress
A licence holder may appeal against any conditions attached to a licence, a decision to reject a variation application, a decision to reject a transfer application or a decision to exclude an activity or person as premises supervisor.
Appeals are made to the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court, 70 Horseferry Road, London SW1P 2AX within 21 days of notice of the decision.
Consumer Complaint
An interested party or responsible authority may apply to the Licensing Authority to review the premises licence. A hearing will be held by the Licensing Authority.
Appeals are made to the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court, 70 Horseferry Road, London SW1P 2AX within 21 days of notice of the decision.
Other Redress
The chief police officer for the police area where the premises are located can apply to the Licensing Authority for a review of the licence if the premises are licensed to sell alcohol by retail and a senior officer has given a certificate that they are of the opinion that the premises are associated with either serious crime or disorder or both. A hearing will be held and the licence holder and other interested parties may make representations.
A chief police officer can give a notice to the Licensing Authority if they believe that the transfer of a licence to another, under a variation application could undermine crime prevention objectives. Such a notice must be given within 14 days of receiving notification of the application.
An interested party or responsible body may make representations in relation to a licence application or request the licensing body to review a licence.
An interested party or responsible authority may apply to the Licensing Authority to review the premises licence. A hearing will be held by the Licensing Authority.
A chief police officer may make representations to the Licensing Authority for a review of the licence if the premises are licensed to sell alcohol by retail and a senior member of the force has given a certificate to state that in their opinion the premises are associated with serious crime, disorder or both.
An interested party or relevant authority who made relevant representations may appeal against the granting of a licence or against any condition, variation and licensable activity or premises supervisor decisions.
Appeals are made to the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court, 70 Horseferry Road, London SW1P 2AX within 21 days of notice of the decision.
If there is a concern about noise, pollution, etc please contact Westminster City Council's Environmental Action Line on 020 7641 2000 (24 hrs) or email environmentalactionline@westminster.gov.uk. Also should any person have a complaint relating to a licensed premises or suspect a premises is operating without the required licence please contact the Council's Licensing Inspectors on 020 7641 3385 or email premiseslicensinginspectorate@westminster.gov.uk.
Trade Associations
Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR)
Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU)
Federation of Licensed Victuallers Associations (FLVA)
Institute of Entertainment and Arts Professionals (IEAP)
British Institute of Innkeepers (BII)
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