Club Premises Certificates
A Club Premises Certificate under the Licensing Act 2003 is required for any premises occupied by, and habitually used for the purposes of a club, where any of the following take place:
- sale of alcohol by retail
- regulated entertainment
- the provision of hot food or hot drink between 23:00 and 05:00 on any day (late night refreshment)
Regulated entertainment is defined as:
- a performance of a play
- an exhibition of a film
- an indoor sporting event
- a boxing or wrestling entertainment
- a performance of live music
- any playing of recorded music
- a performance of dance
- facilities for making music
- facilities for dancing
- anything similar to music or dancing
If a club is not a qualifying club under the 2003 Act and undertakes "licensable activities" (defined in part 3 of the 2003 Act), an application for a New Premises Licence will be required.
A Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) is not required for a Club Premises Certificate.
-
How to apply
To apply for a new Club Premises Certificate you you will need to complete the application form available on the right-hand side of this page. Once completed, this form must be submitted to the Licensing Department and copies sent to all the Responsible Authorities (failure to do this will invalidate your application). Postal addresses for Responsible Authorities are available on the right-hand side of this page. If you submit your application via the online GOV.UK portal, the licensing authority will notify Responsible Authorities of the application on your behalf.
Your application must also be accompanied by a plan of the premises, and a Club Premises Declaration (this can be found on the right-hand side of this page). A fee must also be paid, which is based on the non-domestic rateable value of the premises. See our Fees page.
The day after the application has been received in the Council offices, a notice (printed on pale blue paper) must be clearly displayed on the premises for a minimum of 28 days. A template for the notice can be found on the right-hand side of this page. In the case of a premises covering an area of more than 50 metres square, a further notice must be displayed every fifty metres along the external perimeter of the premises abutting any highway.
An advertisement must also be placed in the local newspaper, or if there is none, in a local newsletter, circular or similar document, circulating in the vicinity of the premises, on at least one occasion during the period of ten working days, starting on the day after the application is received in the Council offices. A template for the advert can be found on the right-hand-side of this page.
The above must be completed for the application to be valid.
During the 28 day consultation period, a Responsible Authority or any other person may submit a representation to the Licensing Department for or against the application.
If, after the 28 days, the application receives no representations, the certificate will be granted and forwarded to the relevant correspondant as stated on the application.
If a relevant representation is made, a hearing will be held within 20 working days to consider the representation, unless the authority, the applicant and each person who has made the representation agrees that a hearing is unnecessary.
-
Variations to the Club Premises Certificate
Variation
The areas in which a Club Premises Certificate can be varied are:
- Varying the hours during which a licensable activity is permitted
- Adding or removing licensable activities
- Adding or removing conditions
- Altering any aspect of the layout of the premises which is shown on the plan
You will need to complete an application form (available on the right-hand side of this page). Once completed, this form must be submitted to the Licensing Department and copies sent to all the Responsible Authorities (failure to do this will invalidate your application). Postal addresses for Responsible Authorities are available on the right-hand side of this page. If you submit your application via the online GOV.UK portal, the licensing authority will notify Responsible Authorities of the application on your behalf. A fee must also be paid, which is based on the non-domestic rateable value of the premises. See our Fees page.
The day after the application has been received in the Council offices, a notice (printed on pale blue paper) must be clearly displayed on the premises for a minimum of 28 days. A template for the notice can be found on the right-hand side of this page.
An advertisement must also be placed in the local newspaper, or if there is none, in a local newsletter, circular or similar document, circulating in the vicinity of the premises, on at least one occasion during the period of ten working days, starting on the day after the application is received in the Council offices. A template for the advert can be found on the right-hand-side of this page.
Minor Variation
A minor variation can be applied for changes such as:
- Small changes to the structure or layout of a premises
- The addition of authorisation for late night refreshment or regulated entertainment (such as live music, performance of plays or film exhibitions)
- Small changes to licensing hours (but see below on changes that relate to alcohol)
- Revisions, removals and additions of conditions (this could include the removal or amendment of out of date, irrelevant or unenforceable conditions, or the addition of volunteered conditions)
A minor variation cannot be used to:
- Extend licensing hours for the sale or supply of alcohol at any time between 23:00 and 07:00
- Increase the amount of time on any day during which alcohol may be sold by retail or supplied
- Extend the period for which the certificate has effect
- Transfer the licence or certificate from one premises to another, or vary substantially the premises to which it relates
- Add the sale by retail or supply of alcohol as an activity authorised by the certificate
If in doubt whether the proposed changes may be considered by way of a minor variation, please contact the Licensing Department to discuss this prior to submitting your application.
You will need to complete an application form (available on the right-hand side of this page). Once completed, Once completed, this form must be submitted to the Licensing Department. Alternatively, you could submit your application via the online GOV.UK portal.
The application must be accompanied by the original Club Premises Certificate, or, if that is not practicable, a statement of the reasons for the failure to provide the certificate. A fee of £89 must also be paid.
The day after the application has been received in the Council offices, a notice (printed on white paper) must be clearly displayed on the premises for a minimum of 10 working days days. A template for the notice can be found on the right-hand side of this page. You do not need to publish notice of your application in a newspaper.
During the 10 working day consultation period, a Responsible Authority or any other person may submit a representation to the Licensing Department for or against the application.
If, after the 10 working days, the application receives no representations, the certificate will be amended and forwarded to the relevant correspondant as stated on the application.
If a relevant representation is made, there is no provision for a hearing to be held. Instead, the Licensing Authority will consider all relevant representations and make a decision on whether to grant or refuse the application.