Fees

Alcohol & Entertainment Licensing
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Fees - Alcohol & Entertainment Licensing

 

We provide pragmatic legal guidance to support your business' licensing requirements.

 
For full details of how our licensing team can assist you, please visit our Alcohol and Entertainment Licensing page.
What is Included
  • Discussing your needs and advising on a suitable licensing application.
  • Advising on the likely timescales and costs involved in the application process.
  • Assessing the premises and area with respect to local authority licensing policy, any cumulative impact policy and other licensing policies that may affect your business.
  • Preparing your application and submitting it to the relevant local authority.
  • Preparing and serving copies of the premises licence application on the responsible authorities.
  • Drafting necessary public notices, advising you how to display such notices and arranging for the application to be advertised in a suitable local publication.
  • Preparing a Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) consent form for signature by your personal licence holder.
  • Reviewing the licence once granted.
What is Excluded

If you require additional services not listed above then additional charges will be due, either to us or other professionals, due to the additional work or expertise required. Examples of services that will attract additional charges are as follows:

  • Preparing suitable plans to accompany the licence.
  • Representing you at licensing authority meetings or hearings.
  • Advising you in relation to queries or representations received from either the responsible authorities or other interested parties.
  • Inspecting the property to be licensed.
  • Instructing counsel to advise or represent you at hearings.

 

Our fees for any of the above services will be discussed and agreed in advance.

Our Fees

Our fees for handling the following applications start at £1,250 plus VAT:

  • New premises licences
  • New club premises certificates
  • New personal licences
  • Licence variations
  • Temporary Events Notices

Our exact fee will vary depending on the complexity of your needs and so will typically be costed based on the firm’s hourly rates. For example, if the premises is based within a ‘cumulative impact zone’ or if a contested hearing is anticipated then this will incur additional time.
The hourly rates for our licensing solicitors are currently £350 plus VAT for Partners and £250 plus VAT for Associates. We will provide a detailed estimate following your initial consultation.

 

Disbursements

 

In addition to professional fees, you will be responsible for paying costs of any third-party services or disbursements associated with your application. Typical disbursements include:

  • Local authority fees: Depend on the rateable value and capacity of the premises. Please see the tables below.
  • Advertising fees: £200 to £350
  • Agent’s fees for public notices: £50 to £100

Please note these fees may vary depending on the location of your premises and we will give a more definitive estimate following your initial consultation.

 

Local Authority Fees

 

The fees due to the local authority will be based on the rateable value band of the premises. The current bands are as follows:

BAND A B C D E
Non-domestic rateable value None to £4,300 £4,301 to £33,000 £33,001 to £87,000 £87,001 to £125,000 £125,001 and above

Premises Licences:

BAND A B C D E
Fee for new applications or variations £100 £190 £315 £450 £365
Multiplier applied to premises used exclusively or primarily for the supply of alcohol for consumption on-site (Bands D and E only) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Annual fee £70 £180 £295 £320 £350
Annual fee multiplier applied to premises used exclusively or primarily for the supply of alcohol for consumption on the premises (Bands D and E only) N/A N/A N/A £640 £1050

Club Premises Certificates:

BAND A B C D E
Fee for new applications or variations £100 £190 £315 £450 £635
Annual charge £70 £180 £295 £320 £350

Additional Premises Licence Fees:

PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE AT ANY TIME ADDITIONAL APPLICATION FEE ANNUAL FEE
5,000 to 9,999 £1,000 £500
10,000 to 14,999 £2,000 £1,000
15,000 to 19,999 £4,000 £2,000
20,000 to 29,999 £8,000 £4,000
30,000 to 39,999 £16,000 £8,000
40,000 to 49,999 £24,000 £12,000
50,000 to 59,999 £32,000 £16,000
60,000 to 69,999 £40,000 £20,000
70,000 to 79,999 £48,000 £24,000
80,000 to 89,999 £56,000 £28,000
90,000 and over £64,000 £32,000
Timescale

The time taken to submit your licensing application will vary depending on its complexity. As a guide, the preparation of a simple application and any accompanying papers can be completed within 7 days, subject to urgency. Once we have a clear understanding of your specific licensing needs and circumstances, we will be able to more accurately estimate a timescale for submitting your application.

It typically takes local authorities 6 to 10 weeks to process licensing applications, but this will vary according to individual local authority schedules. We will keep you regularly updated with the progress of your application.