Licensing Act

All premises involved in the sale or supply of alcohol, the provision of late night refreshments or regulated entertainments need a Premises Licence or Club Premises Certificate issued by Cheshire West and Chester Council.

Mandatory conditions

The Secretary of State has the power to impose mandatory licensing conditions in relation to the supply of alcohol under licence.

For further information relating to the new conditions, please click the link below.

New Mandatory Conditions under the Licensing Act 2003 (PDF, 31KB)

This section of the website is divided into the following sections. Please click the appropriate link:

All applications for a Premises Licence or Club Premises Certificate currently within the 28 day consultation period.

Public Register - A list of all Licences issued by Cheshire West and Chester Council.
Representation - How to object to an application.
Reviews - A list of any Licences currently under review.

Licensing Act 2003 Statement of Principles

Cheshire West and Chester Council's statement of principles for the Licensing Act 2003 can be viewed in the policies section of this website.

Premises licences and club premises certificate

Any Premises or Club wishing to permanently hold the right to provide Alcohol for sale, Late Night Refreshment (The sale of any hot food or drink between 11pm and 5am) or Regulated Entertainment (Live and Recorded Music, Plays, Indoor Sporting Events, Dancing, Showing Films etc) will need either a Premises Licence or a Club Premises Certificate.

It is possible to make minor variations to a Premises Licence or Club Premises Certificate by a simplified process. But, the variations proposed must not have any adverse effect upon any of the four licensing objectives.

Designated premises supervisor

All Premises selling alcohol need to have a specified Designated Premises Supervisor to authorise the Sale of Alcohol, this person must hold a Personal Licence issued by the Council.

Personal licences

Personal Licences must be held by all Designated Premises Supervisors. You must have achieved the appropriate Accredited Licensing Qualification issued by either Bii or GOAL (For more details, please see the useful links section below). You will need to apply to the Licensing Authority responsible for the area in which you currently live.

Temporary events notice

Any person wishing to hold an event in which they would provide Alcohol for sale, Late Night Refreshment (The sale of any hot food or drink between 11pm and 5am) or Regulated Entertainment (Live and Recorded Music, Plays, Indoor Sporting Events, Dancing, Showing Films, etc) will need a Temporary Event Notice. Temporary Event Notice Applications (ELMS) must be received by the Licensing Team at least 10 working days before the event. You can also apply for a Late Temporary Event Notice no later than 5 working days before the event. Please note that working days do not include weekends, bank holidays, the day the application is submitted or the day the event takes place.

Minor variation to a premises licence or club premises certificate

A minor variation will generally fall into four categories:

minor changes to the structure or layout of the premises

small adjustments to the licensing hours or the removal of a licensable activity

removal of out of date or unenforceable conditions

addition of volunteered conditions

A minor variation cannot be:

changes to the layout that increase capacity for drinking, block exits or impede the effective operation of noise reduction measures

addition of alcohol sales or supplies

extensions to licensing hours for the supply of alcohol between the hours of 23:00 and 07:00

increases to the amount of time on any day during which alcohol may be sold or supplied for consumption on or off the premises.

Under this new simplified process you will not need to advertise in a newspaper or send copies of the application to the responsible authorities. You will need to display a white notice on the premises, showing all the relevant information about the application, for 10 working days. Interested Parties may make a representation about the application within that period.

The Licensing Authority must consider whether the application could adversely impact any of the four licensing objectives. If there is any doubt, then we will consult with the relevant responsible authority. This may not be with all the responsible authorities and in many cases a decision will be made without consultation. Any representations received within the ten working day notice period will be considered. There is no right to a hearing, but any valid representations will be taken into account before a decision is made.

The application form should be submitted to the Licensing Authority, with a plan if the proposed variation affects the layout, and a fee of £89. Please click the link below for an application form. Application For a Minor Variation to a Premises Licence or Club Premises Certificate.

Designated premises supervisor in respect of a premises licence to be disapplied

A community premises can now hold a Premises Licence for the sale of alcohol without the requirement for a Designated Premises Supervisor and Personal Licence Holder. Instead, every supply of alcohol under the Premises Licence must be made or authorised by the premises management committee.

An application to disapply the condition requiring a Designated Premises Supervisor and to insert the alternative licence condition must be made by a management committee with responsibility for the premises. The application must show how the premises are managed and the structure of the committee or board of individuals with responsibility for its management (including the names of key officers eg chair, secretary, treasurer).

You will also need to explain why you consider it to be a community premises. This would usually be a church hall, chapel hall, parish hall, village hall or community hall. If you are unsure if your premises qualifies, please contact the Licensing Team.

The application form should be submitted with a fee of £23 to the Licensing Authority and a copy sent to the Police Licensing Officer. Please click the link below for an application form. Application for a Designated Premises Supervisor in respect of a Premises Licence to be Disapplied.

Door Supervisors will need to be licensed by the Security Industry Authority.

Further information

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport website holds information and guidance on the new Licensing laws, this includes the forms and fees attached to the changes.

Contact us

Click the following link for contact details for your local Licensing Team.