Putting you on notice

Once an application has been made either for a new premises licence or any variation, as part of the process a display notice which details the application must be displayed at the premises for the general public to see throughout the relevant consultation period.
Here are a few pointers as to how the notices should be displayed.

• The notice needs to be displayed where it can be read easily by the public from the exterior of the premises.
• The notice must be on display 24 hours a day for the whole of the consultation process. As this process ends at midnight on the final day the notice should only be removed the day after the 28 day process is complete.
• The notice can be displayed in a window, at a reasonable height so long as it is not covered at any time by curtains, shutters, etc.  If the notices are displayed in a window or on a door do not pin the door back.
• If building works are hiding the premises, the notice can be fixed securely on the nearest hoarding or lamppost but please bear in mind that the notices could be removed or defaced and therefore you should keep a daily check to ensure they remain displayed, and it may be sensible to take photographic evidence.
• If the premises are more than 50 metres square, a copy of the notice must be placed every 50 metres along the external perimeter of the premises abutting the public highway.
• Should the application be for a new premises licence or for a full variation of the existing premises licence then the notice must remain on display for at least 28 consecutive days.
• For a minor variation the notice needs to remain on display for 10 working days from the start of the relevant representation period.
• Details of what to put on your notice are set out in the Licensing Act 2003 (Premises Licences) regulations 2005

Failure to comply with the above requirements, and indeed all other requirements with regards to displaying notices, may lead to a delay in the application process and the worst case scenario that the application is refused in its entirety.  Check daily to make sure that your notices are on display and are replaced where necessary so the whole application can be a smooth process.