re is both bad news and good news for the off-licensed sector – because of the universal nature of the new-style licences you are now subject to form-filling and legal requirements that you may have avoided for many years, plus a set of questions most of which are irrelevant to your operation. But on the plus side there are possible business advantages in the new…

to consume their purchases on or near the store or shop. Under the new system, all licensed activities, whether for sales on or off the premises, are covered by the same licence, but are tailored to the specific nature of the premises by means of operating conditions. Once these conditions are agreed, you must only operate the premises in accordance with them, and breach of…

ctions. These will be elected members, so the composition of the committee could well change if there is a swing and certain people lose their seats on the council. The whole licensing committee meets only rarely. As with the old licensing justices, when they do sit to listen to applications and make decisions it is normally as a committee of three. In practice, much of…

gives both those in the licensed trade and members of the public an indication of how the council is going to deal with applications made to it, and what considerations they are going to take into account. Although much of the policy will be aimed at the on-trade, off-sales, particularly in respect of children, will be covered as well. The policy must be based on…

y were also not subject to fixed timescales for dealing with applications, which sometimes meant a delay of several months before applications were granted. Under the new system, the Regulations require local authorities to comply with certain timescales in dealing with applications and sending out notices. They must also hold hearings, if required, within a strict time limit laid down in the Regulations. The new…

get about the licence for a long time. They rarely return to court for any reason, and merely pay their licence fee every three years. When it comes to new off-licences (it is unlikely that this term will disappear for many years), the change in the licensing system puts them under greater scrutiny in the initial stages, but may eventually leave the retail sale of…

has already been stated, an application for a new-style premises licence must include the name and address of the person who is to be the designated premises supervisor (DPS), together with a consent form from that person agreeing to take on the overall responsibility. If that person leaves or steps down, a new designated premises supervisor must be formally appointed immediately. It will be illegal…