4 key licensing points for World Cup 2014
We have previously provided some top tips but it seems sensible to give some further guidance in respect of relaxation of hours for England matches.
The key points of the relaxation of hours are as follows:
- Extended hours only apply to England matches, both in the group stage and if they progress further.
- The relaxation only applies to outlets with premises licences or club premises certificates in England.
- The relaxation extends the hours for the sale of alcohol and late-night refreshment for a maximum of four hours beyond England’s kick-off time. The extension will not apply to the Costa Rica game which kicks-off at 5pm but will apply to all other England matches where kick-offs are either 8pm or 9pm. For an 8pm kick-off the extension is until midnight and for 9pm kick-offs until 1am (the extension for the game against Italy, which kicks off at 11pm, also runs until 1am).
- The Home Office has indicated verbally that any drinking up time currently provided for on an individual licence will bolt on to the end of the extended hours for licensable activities mentioned above. Therefore your normal 20 or 30 minutes will apply. The only exception would be those few licences we encounter where the terminal hour for licensable activities and the closing time are simultaneous. They would continue to be simultaneous (just later) under the proposed relaxation.
It is important to realise that the legislation giving effect to the proposed relaxation has not yet been passed and there is no clear timescale on that. If you require later hours than under the relaxation, or indeed additional licensable activities to be extended, then you will need to apply for a TEN in the normal way.
Equally, you may have a customer base where later hours would be desirable for non-England matches. Such extensions will also have to be applied for in the normal way.
