Premises Licence

Licensing hub - legal with Poppleston Allen

Top tips: how landlords and tenants can protect their premises licence

03-Dec-2021 By James Anderson, partner, Poppleston Allen

In this article, I am looking at premises licences, their status and protection and steps that should be taken by both landlord and tenant.

Top tips: the key to takeaways

28-Feb-2018 By Poppleston Allen

With the rise of third-party home delivery services in recent years we are receiving more queries from operators seeking to add home deliveries and takeaways to their offering.

Scare their pants off – top tips for Halloween in the pub

16-Oct-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Everyone loves a theme, especially around Halloween. Whether it is a spooky drinks menu, a ghoulish food offer or a full-blown American-style fancy dress party, Halloween is the perfect time of year to boost sales.

Check your Sunday trading hours before Christmas and New Year's Eve

09-Oct-2017 By Helen Gilbert

Publicans are being urged to look at the terms of their premises licence for Sundays now or risk losing Christmas trade.

What does the Immigration Act mean for pubs?

16-Mar-2017 By Poppleston Allen

The Immigration Act 2016 has had a significant impact on operators of licensed premises and is set to make further amendments affecting premises and personal licence holders.

Legal Q & A: Late-night levies and TENs

06-Feb-2017 By Poppleston Allen

Our legal experts tackle your questions on the basics of a late-night levy and obtaining a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) for sporting events.

Licensing

Legal Q & A: Closure notice and neighbour issues

23-Nov-2016 By Poppleston Allen

This week's legal Q & A looks at a closure order and a complaint from a new neighbour.

Licensing

Legal experts advise on hiring and retiring

10-Oct-2016 By Poppleston Allen

Legal experts Poppleston Allen answer questions from operators on licensing issues.

Legal Q&A

Planning changes: Which application first?

17-Jun-2016 By Poppleston Allen

What application needs to come first when converting a bank into a pub? Change of use or a premise licence?

Legal Q&A

Advice on the licensing relaxation for the Queen's birthday

03-Jun-2016 By Poppleston Allen

This week's legal Q&A includes information on the licensing relaxation for the Queen's birthday and the time between Temporary Event Notices.

Pub gardens

Outdoor prep for summer trading

16-May-2016 By Poppleston Allen

As summer will soon be upon us and with any luck some sunny weather too, now is a good time to start thinking of summer promotions and maximising the benefit from any external areas you have available. 

Legal advice

Know the details of your new pub before purchasing

12-Feb-2016 By Poppleston Allen

It is surprising how many operators still find themselves in difficulties when negotiating the acquisition of new premises to trade as a licensed venue.

Legal advice

Don't take gamble on gaming

05-Nov-2015 By Poppleston Allen

Following your weekly pub quiz you have been running a ‘chase the ace game’ and the entry fee is the bargain price of one whole pound.

Legal Q&A: Tenants not agreeing to licence transfers

23-Oct-2015 By Poppleston Allen

This week's legal Q&A includes tenants not consenting to licence transfers.

Advice

Legal Q&A: rules on pavement furniture and breaching licence conditions

19-Oct-2015 By Poppleston Allen

This week's legal Q&A focuses on how licence breaches could bring closure, and rules on pavement furniture.

Legal advice

Be prepared for pub inspections

24-Aug-2015 By Poppleston Allen

As an operator of licensed premises, you may be well used to the licensing authority carrying out inspections. 

Legal

Advice on online alcohol delivery services

24-Aug-2015 By Poppleston Allen

This week's legal Q&A includes information on planning an alcohol delivery service, taking orders by phone or online.

Advice: Licence threats after noise complaints

08-Jun-2015 By Poppleston Allen

This week's legal Q&A includes advice on threats to licences following noise complaints and fights of premises.

Legal

Advice: Decoding premise licences

02-Apr-2015 By Poppleston Allen

Some of my clients’ premises licences look like a modern version of the Voynich manuscript. 

Legal

Legal advice: Beware of the clocks changing

10-Mar-2015 By Poppleston Allen

Twice a year the clocks change, and we are unfortunately coming to the change that requires us to get up an hour earlier.

Legal comment: Year of deregulation awaits

14-Jan-2015 By Poppleston Allen

I suspect that 2015 will be an interesting year for the trade. My experience is that since New Labour’s wholesale reform of licensing in England and Wales, which became the Licensing Act 2003, every year brings about a certain amount of uncertainty.

Legal Q&A: Selling alcohol online and late night barbecues

17-Dec-2014 By Poppleston Allen

This week's legal Q&A includes information on selling alcohol online and late-night barbecues.

Poppleston Allen: Stocking fillers for the new year

15-Dec-2014 By Poppleston Allen

It’s that time of year where everywhere you look there are snowmen, sleigh bells and stacks of presents.

Drinks promotions: top legal tips

16-Oct-2014 By Poppleston Allen

In this top tips series we continue our analysis of the practical implications of the changes to the mandatory conditions on premises licence as a result of the Licensing Act 2003 (Mandatory Licensing Conditions) (Amendment) Order 2014. This week we look...

Innsatiable appetite for courting controversy

25-Jun-2014 By Mike Berry

Innsatiable — the controversial “free bar” based in Farnham, Surrey that first came to our attention in summer 2012 — is back in the headlines.

8 tips on checking your new pub's premises licence

25-Jun-2014 By Poppleston Allen

In the thrill of taking over a pub or other licensed premises, you may be busy arranging for your accountant to check the books, finalising your lease or tenancy agreement, arranging for a surveyor to check the property and so on. With all these ducks...

Unlicensed 'free bar' Innsatiable forced to close

12-Jun-2014 By John Harrington

Innsatiable, the controversial Surrey “furniture shop” that gave away beer, has been closed for breaches of licensing laws.

10 tips for staging a festival at your pub

22-Apr-2014 By Poppleston Allen

As the summer season approaches, your mind may be turning to organising a festival at your pub. Admittedly it may not be quite on the scale of Glastonbury, but nonetheless it could be an important way for you to market your business, make use of an under-used...

How to deal with a licence review

28-Mar-2014 By Poppleston Allen

The arrival of an application to review your premises licence is almost certainly the most stressful time that you will face as a premises licence holder or designated premises supervisor (DPS). Even well-run premises can be reviewed but it is not necessarily...

Publicans warned to check licences ahead of March clocks change

26-Feb-2014 By Helen Gilbert

Publicans are being urged to check their premises licence ahead of the clock change at the end of March or risk losing an hour’s trade.

5 festive licensing tips for pubs

03-Dec-2013 By Poppleston Allen

With Christmas fast approaching, now is the time to check your entertainment programme for the festive period is above board. Here are 5 tips for ensuring you and your customers have a very merry Christmas.

Pulling together for charity - despite EHO objections

11-Sep-2013 By Jonathan Smith

We live in a world that is changing continuously; people have less time and more commitments and not necessarily to each other. I have a great deal of admiration for people who put themselves out on a limb to help others and recently have been reminded...

Top tips for displaying your premises licence

07-Jun-2013 By Poppleston Allen

Is a summary of your premises licence or a certified copy of that summary prominently displayed in your premises? Or is it hidden behind a plant or a fire extinguisher? Perhaps not displayed at all? If you answered yes to either of the last two examples,...

Legal checklist: Compiling a licensing file

03-Jun-2013 By Poppleston Allen

One way to limit the severity of any action taken against a licensed premises is for an operator to put together a ‘licensing file’, which can be presented to the authorities, licensing committee, or - if necessary - to the courts. Our checklist identifies...

Are premises licences worth it?

21-Mar-2013 By Poppleston Allen

What is the true value of your premises licence? Do you really need one and what are the risks of maintaining one? 

Legal checklist: Appointing a DPS

20-Mar-2013 By Poppleston Allen

While many of you will already have undertaken the appointment of a designated premises supervisor (DPS), the importance of the role can often be forgotten, with potentially damaging consequences.

Pub premises licences: advantages of a minor variation

21-Feb-2013 By Poppleston Allen

It’s often tempting to only consider making an application to vary your premises licence when you want to extend your hours or add a new licensable activity.

Legal checklist: Changing your address

01-Feb-2013 By Poppleston Allen

I know from experience that, when moving house, there is a long list of people who need to know your new address; it is important to remember to add to that list the local authority that issued your premises licence or personal licence.

How to cope with licensing enforcement visits

18-Jan-2013 By Poppleston Allen

So what approach should be taken to enforcement visits? These can be a nerve-racking experience for even the most experienced managers as enforcement officers comb the premises looking for infractions and non-compliances.

Innsatiable: Controversial Farnham venue granted premises licence

05-Nov-2012 By Adam Pescod

Simon Atkins, the owner of controversial Surrey 'furniture store' Innsatiable, insisted he was not pressured by local licensing authorities into applying for a premises licence, after one was granted to him.

Pubs urged to get legal advice to avoid licence reviews

31-Oct-2012 By Adam Pescod

Licensees risk seeing their pub’s reputation shattered if they don’t seek expert legal advice following routine licensing visits by police. That is the warning from Jon Wallsgrove, partner at Blake Lapthorn licensing solicitors, who was speaking at the...

Oceana nightclub licence suspended following fatal stabbing

29-Oct-2012

Luminar’s Oceana nightclub in Kingston-Upon-Thames, Surrey, has had its premises licence suspended for 14 days following a fatal stabbing at the venue in the early hours of last Thursday (25 October).

Legal tips: Dealing with the police over pub licence transfers

22-Oct-2012

I have encountered several occasions recently where objections have been made by the police over the transfer of a premises licence, and to someone named as the designated premises supervisor (DPS).

Innsatiable: Pub trade welcomes controversial venue's premises licence application

10-Oct-2012 By Adam Pescod

Key industry figures have hailed the news that the owner of the controversial ‘free bar’ Innsatiable, in Farnham, Surrey, has applied for a premises licence.

Live Music Act: How will it affect TENs and pub discos?

09-Oct-2012 By Poppleston Allen

This week we consider how the Live Music Act (LMA) 2012 affects temporary event notices, discos and conditions relating to non-licensable activities.

Innsatiable: controversial "free bar" in Surrey applies for premises licence

03-Oct-2012 By Adam Pescod

The owner of controversial Surrey “furniture shop” Innsatiable “is in the process of applying for a premises licence”, the PMA can exclusively reveal.

Proposed guidance for live music deregulation is open for consultation

24-Aug-2012 By Michelle Perrett

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has produced a draft of the new guidance it will release upon implementation of the Live Music Act 2012.

Beware of leafleting pitfalls at your pub

18-Jun-2012 By Nick Arron

Handing out leaflets and vouchers is a popular way of increasing footfall, but councils are getting tired of picking them up afterwards.

Jubilee river traders will need premises licence just like pubs

30-May-2012

We are all being urged to engage with the forthcoming celebrations for Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The Thames river pageant scheduled for Sunday, 3 June promises to be a massive waterborne celebration with many hundreds of rowed boats and...

Adding accommodation to your pub: legal checklist

11-May-2012 By Jonathan Smith

More and more operators are seeking new income streams. So, if accommodation is going to be the next big thing then what do you need to consider before going ahead?