Premises licence: variation applications

Where a licence holder wishes to amend their premises licence, in most cases the Licensing Act 2003 permits an application to vary the licence to be made rather than requiring an application for a new premises licence.

Variation applications can consist of:

• varying the hours during which a licensable activity is permitted
• adding or removing licensable activities
• amending, adding or removing conditions within a licence
• altering any aspect of the layout of the premises which is shown on the plan

A variation cannot be used to vary a licence to:

• extend a time-limited licence
• transfer the licence from one premises to another

Depending on the proposed changes it may be possible for you to submit a minor variation application instead of a variation to premises licence.

Before you apply

You will need to include any relevant information as part of your application. This could include but is not limited to:

• an operating schedule including any conditions you want to propose - take a look at our model conditions below
• the plan of the premises with a thorough description highlighting any proposed changes - find out what a plan should show
• any supporting documents like a dispersal policy, noise or alcohol management plan

When serving the application on the licensing authority, you should simultaneously serve copies of the application and the plan on all relevant responsible authorities. Your application is not valid until this has been completed. If the application is made online, we'll serve copies on all relevant responsible authorities on your behalf within one working day.

Apply for a variation of an existing licence

Licensing fees

Your application will need to be accompanied with the appropriate fee. All fees under the Licensing Act 2003 have been set centrally by the government. See our licensing fees document to see how much your application will cost:

Check your rateable online at the Valuation Office Agency website.

Displaying notice and advertising

For variation applications under the Licensing Act 2003 a notice must be displayed on the premises for 28 days starting from the application date. The display notice must be on A4 paper and be light blue in colour. A notice with the same information must also be displayed in a local newspaper within 10 days from the application date.

Representations

The consultation period for a variation of a premises licence application is 28 consecutive days from the day after a valid application is made.

Members of the public, as well as responsible authorities, may submit representations within this 28 day period. All representations must relate directly to the application and/or one or more of the licensing objectives. Representations can be submitted online, by post or via email to the licensing service. 

Granting the licence

If we don’t receive any representations after the 28 day consultation period, the licence will be granted and we will issue it by email shortly after.

If there is a relevant representation from a responsible authority or interested party, the application will be presented to the Licensing Sub-Committee for its determination. The hearing will be arranged within 28 days following the initial 28 day consultation period.