Licensing

Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen

Top tips: Early intervention could save a business

09-Apr-2019 By Poppleston Allen

We have all been there. We have received information asking for our views and ignored it. We then become frustrated and complain when a decision affects our business or livelihood even though it’s as a result of our complacency.

Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen

Best to keep mum

09-Apr-2019 By Poppleston Allen

Mistakes happen but the most recent legislation could be said to make sensible discussions and rectification more difficult

Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen

Legal Q&A: Failed test purchases and closure notices

27-Mar-2019 By Poppleston Allen

Specialist licensing solicitors Poppleston Allen's latest legal Q&A looks at best practice following a failed test purchase and what steps an operator can take in response to a ‘s19 closure notice’.

Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen

Top tips: have a strong age verification policy

26-Mar-2019 By Poppleston Allen

Every premises licence that authorises the sale of alcohol is subject to a mandatory condition that an age verification policy will be in place.

Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen

Where have all the pubs gone?

26-Mar-2019 By Poppleston Allen

The news has been full of doom and gloom of late. A trip to the pub could prove to be the perfect distraction but, if recent figures are to be believed, your small local pub may soon be no more.

Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen

'What happens if an under-18 uses my gambling machine?'

19-Mar-2019 By Poppleston Allen

Many pub and club operators holding premises licences under the Licensing Act 2003 operate gaming machines within their premises, often under a notification for two machines or a Licensed Premises Gaming Machine Permit (LPGMP).

Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen

Legal Q&A: British summer time and duty manager displays name

19-Mar-2019 By Poppleston Allen

Specialist licensing solicitors Poppleston Allen's latest legal Q&A looks at how the clocks going forwards impacts a pub licence and whether or not pubs need to put duty manager names on display.

Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen

Right to work in the UK rules

19-Mar-2019 By Poppleston Allen

It is stating the obvious that everybody you employ must have a right to work in the UK.

Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen

Legal Q&A: pavement café licenses and door staff numbers

26-Feb-2019 By Poppleston Allen

Specialist licensing solicitors Poppleston Allen's latest legal Q&A looks at the rules governing door staff numbers and pavement-side tables and chairs.

Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen

Top tips: beware of noise pollution from spring

26-Feb-2019 By Poppleston Allen

As you might have already noticed, the nights and mornings have got that little bit lighter of late. And it is only a few weeks now until you will need to put your clocks forward; meaning that nicer weather is hopefully on its way.

Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen

Late-night levy changes are close

26-Feb-2019 By Poppleston Allen

As you may be aware Southwark and Redbridge have become the latest London boroughs to throw their hats into the late-night levy ring, confirming they both intend to consult on adopting a levy, with a view to taking effect in September and October 2019...

Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen

Putting the house in order

11-Feb-2019 By Poppleston Allen

Specialist licensing solicitors Poppleston Allen unravels legislative twists and turns affecting the pub trade in the past 225 years.

Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen

Legal Q&A: freepour warning

11-Feb-2019 By Poppleston Allen

Specialist licensing solicitors Poppleston Allen's latest legal Q&A looks at the rules governing free-pouring and personal licences.

Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen

Legal top tips: How simple errors can prove costly

11-Feb-2019 By Poppleston Allen

Sometimes the easiest of tasks pose the direst of consequences if you get them wrong. I have often seen applications rejected, stalled or have unintended consequences for the simplest of mistakes.

London needs "an active 24-hour licensing regime”

31-Jan-2019 By Emily Hawkins

London “needs to have an active 24-hour licensing regime” in light of the closures of many bars and clubs, a new report has recommended.

Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen

Need to know: children in pubs

31-Jan-2019 By Poppleston Allen

The questions of whether children can work in licensed premises or indeed be in those premises as a customer are ones that sometimes cause confusion and therefore may benefit from some clarification.

Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen

Legal Q&A: Temporary event notices and incidents at premises

29-Jan-2019 By Poppleston Allen

Specialist licensing solicitors Poppleston Allen's latest legal Q&A looks at the rules governing temporary event notices and incidents at premises

Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen

Top tips: Put effort into creating an atmosphere

29-Jan-2019 By Poppleston Allen

Like many, I have been wrestling with a slight lack of enthusiasm as we enter the new year.

Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen

Make sure your checks don’t bounce

29-Jan-2019 By Poppleston Allen

This may well seem a little premature, but we all know how quickly the warmer weather will come around, with Easter bank holiday weekend only a couple of months away – the outdoor events will start up again before you know it.

Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen

Legal Q&A: security staff numbers at events and licence applications

18-Jan-2019 By Poppleston Allen

Specialist licensing solicitors Poppleston Allen's latest legal Q&A looks at the rules governing the reduction of security staff numbers for events and applying for a premises licence.

Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen

Self service in pubs – risk or reward?

18-Jan-2019 By Poppleston Allen

A trend towards allowing customers to pour their own beer could mean risks over the licensing objectives

Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen

Legal Q&A: drinking up time and country pub refurb

04-Jan-2019 By Poppleston Allen

The latest legal Q&A from specialist licensing solicitors Poppleston Allen examines the laws around drinking-up time when filing TENs and country pub refurb.

Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen

Legal top tips: advice working at licensed premises

04-Jan-2019 By Poppleston Allen

With a son who has just started a part-time job working behind a bar while at university, it seemed the right time to share the pearls of wisdom I have given him on some of the things he needs to watch out for.

Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen

Need to know: protecting your business from potential prosecution

11-Dec-2018 By Poppleston Allen

Whether you are looking to take over an existing premises or starting from scratch, it is not always clear which regulations apply to your business and how you achieve compliance with them.

Publicans trained in protecting children from sexual exploitation and 'county lines'

29-Nov-2018 By Emily Hawkins

Licensees in Nottinghamshire have received training on safeguarding children from child sexual exploitation and drug dealing.

Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen

How could Brexit affect licensing laws for pubs?

03-Jul-2018 By Poppleston Allen

With less than nine months to go until the UK leaves the European Union (EU), Lisa Sharkey, managing partner at law firm Poppleston Allen, outlines the impact Brexit could have on the country’s licensing laws.

National Licensing Week 2018 highlights breadth of sector

21-Jun-2018 By Claire Churchard

Now in its third year, National Licensing Week 2018 is taking place between 18-22 June to raise awareness of the role of licensing across the country.

EastEnders appears to flout laws governing doorman recruitment

09-May-2018 By Fred A'Court

Eagle-eyed television viewers spotted a glaring breach of the licensing laws in Monday’s episode.

Legal advice

How to understand local council's statement of licensing policy

07-Oct-2016 By Poppleston Allen

A local authority's statement of licensing policy (SOLP) outlines the licensing information in the area and can affect a premises under the council's care. Legal experts, Poppleston Allen give advice on how to understand the statement.

Licensing lament: How has the regime changed?

24-Oct-2014 By Tony Thornton

Victorian attitudes towards temperance influenced the policy of our licensing magistrates until well into the last century.

Licensing committees must stop pushing operators onto the back foot

20-Nov-2012 By Poppleston Allen

I have long been one of life’s optimists — the glass is always half full as opposed to half empty and I firmly believe that my team can always come back from 3-1 down, with 10 men away from home, with five minutes left to play.

A year of change ahead

12-Dec-2011 By Peter Coulson

There will be many readers who remember the period of transition from one licensing system to another, back in 2005, as one long confusion. Certainly the protracted period of change, complexities of the forms, the delays of local authorities and general...

Health boards get say on licensing

02-Dec-2010 By Ewan Turney

Authorities will be able to take into consideration the impact of licensing on public health, under new Government plans to overhaul licensing. The...

What reform really means for you

19-Aug-2010

The Home Office's consultation paper - Rebalancing the Licensing Act - sets out the government's proposals for an overhaul of licensing. They...

Politicians' licence to intrude

26-Jul-2010 By Peter Coulson

Politicians becoming directly involved in the licensing process does nothing to address the underlying issue of the binge culture, says Peter Coulson.

A return for 'fit and proper'?

03-Apr-2009 By Peter Coulson

MA legal editor Peter Coulson considers whether police should be able to object to a licence on health grounds.

Not an appealing prospect

22-Jan-2009 By Peter Coulson

One of the major differences between the workings of the old 1964 Licensing Act and the current 2003 version is the lack of clarity about what the law actually means, says Peter Coulson.

SBPA holds licensing boards to account

05-Mar-2008

The Scottish Beer and Pub Association (SBPA) claims a number of licensing boards are failing to comply with the Scottish Licensing Act 2005...

Police split over licensing

31-Mar-2004

A police split has emerged over licensing reform after London police claimed extended licensing hours will lead to an upsurge in crime and disorder....

Scotland to face licensing reform under Nicholson Committee proposals

30-Jun-2003

Scotland's licensing laws could be facing significant reform if the government takes on the recommendations of the Nicholson Committee.Rumours are...

Industry split over licensing

17-May-2002

The trade is in danger of being cut out of the consultation process on licensing altogether if it does not act to end confusion and...

Licensing reform

03-Apr-2001

We take a look at what change licensing reform may bring for licensees.Licensees can be forgiven if they develop split personalities over the next...