I run a bar at my local Golf Club under a Club Premises Certificate.

Q: I run the bar at my local Golf Club under a Club Premises Certificate. The Council Licensing Officer has just told me that I can’t let people take their drinks out on to our terrace overlooking the golf course because it’s not shown on the plan attached ot my certificate. He says I must make an application to amend the plan to include the outside terrace. I don’t understand, as I have “off sales”. What’s going on?

A: Club Premises Certificates are different to Premises Licences in that whilst they can authorise the sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises (which your terrace presently is, as it’s not shown on the plan), there is a universal condition applied to clubs in these circumstances requiring that off sales must be in a sealed container. There is, or should be, a condition on your certificate to this effect already. It means that at the moment you can only supply alcohol off the premises, including to the terrace, in sealed containers. Clearly, the Licensing Officer accepts that this is an unacceptable situation and his suggestion to include the terrace as part of the licensed premises will bring it “on” the certificate meaning that your sales to members will thereafter be on sales, and not required to be in sealed containers.