Licensing

Application for a new Premises Licence OR for a Variation to the existing Premises Licence

Fixed Fee

Fixed fee of £720.00 (including VAT at 20% but excluding disbursements).

This fee consists of:
  •  Legal fees £600.00
  •  VAT on legal fees £120.00 at 20%



Disbursements 

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as the application fee. We will require payment of the disbursements at the start of the process to ensure there are no delays in submission. 

The average costs for these disbursements are set out below. These fees vary depending on the individual premises and where it is located. The fees can on occasion be higher than the ranges given below. We will give you an accurate figure for each item as soon as we are able to do so.
  • Application fee (payable to licensing authority): £100.00 - £635.00 (depending on non-domestic rateable value of the premises being licensed) This does not attract VAT
  • Advertising fee £150.00 - £400.00 plus VAT at 20%
  • Enquiry agent fees to display public notices £100.00 - £150.00 plus VAT at 20%
  • Special delivery fee to serve the application £5.00 - £10.00 plus VAT at 20%
  • Printing additional copies of plans if necessary £25.00 - £50.00 plus VAT at 20%

Fee includes: 

  • Taking your instructions and advising you as to how you can promote the licensing objectives within your application 
  • Advising you as the type of plans you are required to submit with your application.
  • Completing the application form for a new premises licence or to vary the existing licence (including the operating schedule) in accordance with your instructions and submitting this to the local licensing authority alongside suitable plans. You must provide suitable plans.
  • Providing guidance on the fee levels payable to the licensing authority.
  • Preparing copies of the application for disclosure to the responsible authorities and serving copies of the application on the responsible authorities.
  • Drafting the notices advertising the application and submitting the notice to the local newspaper.
  • Arranging with you for you to display the notice(s) advertising the premises licence application and advising as to where and how this should be done by you in order to comply with the requirements of the Licensing Act 2003.
  • In the case of new premises licence applications, providing a Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) consent form for signature by a personal licence holder proposed by yourself.
  • Checking the licence once granted and correcting any errors with the licensing authority.
     

The fee does not include:

  • obtaining suitable plans;
  • attending pre-consultation meetings with the Licensing Authority or Responsible Authorities, nor their fee for this meeting;
  • dealing with or advising you in relation to queries or representations received from either the responsible authorities or other interested parties;
  • advising on varying the licence after submission to the authority;
  • attendance and representation at a licensing sub-committee hearing of the responsible authority. 
  • If representations are received and attendance and representation at a licensing sub-committee is required then we will provide a separate fee estimate for this work which will be charged at an hourly rate.
     

How long will my application take?


Matters usually take 5-8 weeks from receipt of full instructions from you. This is on the basis of the application being relatively straightforward and you being able to provide all the necessary documents promptly. If your matter is more complex, for example, if there is substantial opposition from interested parties, or if there is a delay in receiving the documents we need, it may take longer.


 

Other Licensing Applications


Application to Transfer a Premises Licence


Fixed Fee: £180 - £240 (including VAT at 20% but excluding disbursements)

This fee consists of:

  • Legal fees £150 - £200
  • ​VAT on legal fees £30 - £40 at 20%


Disbursements 

  • Transfer fee (payable to licensing authority): £23.00 plus VAT at 20%
  • Postage special delivery charge: £5.00 - £10.00 plus VAT at 20%


Fee includes: 

  • Taking your instructions and advising you on the process for transferring a premises licence into your / your company’s name;
  • Providing guidance on the fee levels payable to the licensing authority;
  • Providing you with the relevant consent forms, to be completed by the outgoing licensee (if known / available);
  • Preparing the transfer application form and submitting to the local authority;
  • Checking the licence once granted and correcting any errors with the licensing authority.
  • Sending you the original copy of the licence.

The fee does not include:
  • Handling any objections from the police, if any such representations are received by the local authority.


How long will my application take?

Matters usually take 1-2 weeks from receipt of full instructions from you. This is on the basis of the application being relatively straightforward and you being able to provide all the necessary documents promptly.