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Licensing
We advise any business or individual on how to obtain food, beverage and entertainment licences whether for a one-off/ special occasion or for ongoing trade.
Where applications are disputed, we have strong advocacy skills and can manage appeals to the local Magistrates Court or to the High Court on your behalf.
As well as acting for licensees, we regularly act for the Police and Local Authorities in respect of licensing matters, subsequent appeals, and a wide range of regulatory matters.
Our licensing lawyers advise on:
- licensing applications and temporary event notices
- licensing club premises
- certificate applications and amendments
- personal licence applications
- entertainment venue licences
- personal Premises and Operating Licences under the Gambling Act 2005
- due diligence on property transactions including hotels, public houses and other licensed premises
- appeals to the local Magistrates Court
- appeals to the High Court via a judicial review
- licensing reviews and enforcement
Related services
"Wright Hassall LLP’s work is ‘on a par with the big London firms’."
Pricing transparency
Quality assured: Wright Hassall is Lexcel accredited, the Law Society’s legal practice quality mark for practice management and client care.
The *fee scale outlined below is calculated on the average cost of applying for a new premises licence (under Section 17 of the Licensing Act 2003), or to vary a licence (Section 34 of the Licensing Act 2003), to allow an ‘average’ business to carry out one or more licensable activities. In some circumstances, such as applying for a premises licence for a large, one-off, or unusual event, the fees outlined below will not be appropriate. In this case, we would supply a bespoke estimate.
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Type of application (NB the fees below assume that you have the correct type of planning permission for the use of the premises) |
Fee scale (including VAT) (NB VAT is not recoverable from your debtor) |
| Premises licence application or full variation | £720 - £960 |
| Minor variation of premises licence application | £360 - £480 |
| Application to vary DPS | £120 |
| Transfer of Premises Licence | £120 |
| Personal Licence Application | £120 |
| Temporary event notices | £120 |
| Representation/advice on a review of premises licence ordinary or expedited | £3,600 – £6,000 |
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The prices above do not take into account any costs payable to a third party which may include the following:
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The details
Fees include:
- taking your instructions
- advising you how to promote the licensing objectives within your premises licence application
- advising on the type of plans required to accompany your application
- completing and submitting the application
- disclosing the application to the responsible authorities
- making arrangements for the necessary advertising of the application.
Exclusions
The fees outlined do not include:
- obtaining suitable plans
- attending pre-consultation meetings with the Licensing Authority or Responsible Authorities, nor their fee for this meeting.
- dealing with or advising you in relation to queries or representations received from either the responsible authorities or other interested parties
- advising on varying the licence
- attendance and representation at a licensing sub-committee hearing of the responsible authority. If representations are received and attendance and representation at a licensing sub-committee is required then we will provide a separate fee estimate for this work which will be charged at an hourly rate.
