Club premises certificate

In the application, there are three sets of questions relating to the club rules or arrangements that will allow the licensing authority (LA) to determine whether the club rules meet the conditions of the Act for qualifying clubs. Only one set of questions should be completed, depending on what type of club is applying.

Registered societies under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965 or the Friendly Societies Act 1974 and registered friendly societies under the Friendly Societies Act 1992 should complete the questions in section 1. Miners’ welfare institutes should complete the questions in section 2 and applicants for clubs not falling into these categories should complete the questions in section 3. It is an offence to make a false statement, which on conviction, is liable to a fine of up to £5,000.

The regulations also require a copy of the club rules with the application. The licensing authority will determine whether the club rules meet the conditions of the Act for qualifying clubs in relation to qualifying club activities. The club secretary must give the LA notice of any change in the name of the club or alteration of the rules (even when the club has made an application for a club premises certificate which has not yet been determined). The LA may reject an application for a club premises certificate if it appears that the club does not satisfy the conditions for being a qualifying club in relation to the activities on the certificate.

Applications must be advertised as set out in the act and the Licensing Act 2003 (Premises licences and club premises certificates) Regulations 2005. This includes displaying a sign at or outside the premises and an advertisement in a locally circulating newspaper. We will forward a copy of an example public notice once the application is received.

Under the minor variation process, you are not required to advertise the variation in a newspaper or circular or copy it to responsible authorities. However, you must display it on a white notice the notice must be displayed for a period of ten working days starting on the working day after the minor variation application was given to the licensing authority. We will forward a copy of an example public notice once the application is received.

You will be asked to describe the steps you intend to take to promote the four licensing objectives:

• the prevention of crime and disorder
• public safety
• the prevention of public nuisance
• the protection of children from harm

You should already be complying with these requirements, so if you feel there is nothing more you need to do, then you might wish to write ‘N/A’ when completing the application. This shows you have considered the objectives and come to a decision that you have nothing additional to do and not that you have forgotten to write anything in this section.

If a responsible authority for one of the licensing objectives considers that you need to do more, they will be able to make representations. If you do intend to take additional measures, you should consider carefully what to include. Anything you put down here is likely to become a condition of your licence. Failure to meet those conditions would constitute an offence under the act.

You should think carefully about adding conditions to ensure that they are achievable, realistic, appropriate, proportionate and within your control. Base your response on a proper, common sense consideration of the risks and what you can realistically do to mitigate them.

Responsible authorities are the public bodies that are entitled to make representations to the licensing authority in relation to an application. Any representations must be about the likely effect of granting the application on the promotion of the licensing objectives. The responsible authorities include the following, for the area in which the premises are situated will be consulted:

• the chief officer of police
• the fire and rescue authority
• the primary care trust (or local health board in Wales)
• the health and safety authority
• the local planning authority
• the environmental health authority
• the body recognised as being responsible for protection of children from harm
• inspectors of weights and measures (trading standards officers)

With regard to a vessel, this list also includes the relevant navigation authority, the Environment Agency, British Waterways Board or the Secretary of State.