The Licensing Act 2003, which came into force during 2005, brought about a complete overhaul of licensing law relating to the sale of alcohol, the provision of entertainment and the sale of hot food and drink after 11 pm. It represents a radical re-organisation of the licensing process.
On 24th November 2005 all old style Justices Licences ceased to exist. Administration of the licensing system passed from Magistrates Courts to Local Authorities. ‘Premises Licences’ are now required for all locations offering alcohol (and in some cases food) for sale. The Act also applies to provision of some public entertainments. Those responsible for operating premises will require an individual ‘Personal Licence’ which will effectively be a passport entitling them to operate any premises which have an appropriate 'Premises Licence'. The transitional provisions to convert old licences came to an end on 6th August 2005.
Licensing applications are regularly won or lost by the way they are prepared. The Commercial Lawyers at Bridge McFarland can help by making thorough checks to ensure that everything has been done to make each application as robust as possible. Where local residents or authorities object to applications they can advise on how best to proceed. Bridge McFarland can guide clients through the process from beginning to end and conduct appeals.
Our commercial team have a good local knowledge and are happy to advise clients at the earliest stage of an application. We aim to be successful and take a commercial approach to all applications. We will advise at the outset on the likelihood of success and the probable cost.
Members of our commercial team would be happy to discuss how we can help on an informal basis.
Members of our licensing team would be happy to discuss how we can help on an informal basis.
They can be contacted, as follows: