Licensing - Pre-Application Advice

LicencePre-Application Advice Service

We offer a pre-application advice service to support your licensing application made under the Licensing Act 2003. The aim is to help you to mitigate any problems which may arise during the application process.  However, our advice cannot prejudge the outcome of the licensing application, especially if representations are received and a hearing takes place before the Licensing Sub-Committee.

Please note that this is for Licensing Application advice only. If you require advice regarding planning applications please contact the planning department.

Benefits of pre-application advice

• advice and assistance with completing application forms;
• advice on appropriate conditions taking into account the type and style of the operation intended at the premises, its location and in consultation with Environmental Health Officers;
• advice on drawing up plans to accompany the application in accordance with the relevant regulations;
• advice on nominating an appropriate designated premises supervisor;
• assistance with completing the statutory notices and advertisements;
• on-site visit(s) to ensure plans are compliant with Regulations and the appropriate statutory notices are correctly on display; and
• matters you may need to consider to assess possible noise transmission to neighbouring properties, dependent on the type of operation proposed for the premises.

Pre-application Advice Fees 

Pre-applications Advice Fees from 1 April 2022

 

Fees are subject to VAT, currently 20%

Level of advice	Fees (excluding VAT)	Fees (including VAT)
Small - Up to one hour of advice regarding small licence applications, the effect of which would have a minimal environmental impact on neighbouring properties. We would deal with the licensing process, guidance on plans, possible conditions, etc	120.00	144.00
Medium - Up to 2 hours advice for medium size applications including a site visit by an Environmental Health Officer and/or a Licensing Officer if required, a meeting and written report(s)	179.00	214.80
Large - Up to 4 hours advice for large applications including multiple (if necessary) site visits by an Environmental Health Officer, meetings with Environmental Health Officers and Licensing Officers and written report(s).	302.00	362.40
Extra Large Events – 5000 people or more Category A - up to 7 hours advice for extra large public events includes the cost of specialist officers carrying out inspections, giving advice, providing written reports and the cost of a supervising officer monitoring any reports provided as part of this service	505.00	606.00
Extra Large Events – 5000 people or more Category B - up to 14 hours advice for extra large public events includes the cost of specialist officers carrying out inspections, giving advice, providing written reports and the cost of a supervising officer monitoring any reports provided as part of this service	935.00	1122.00
Extra Large Events – 5000 people or more Category C - up to 21 hours advice for extra large public events includes the cost of specialist officers carrying out inspections, giving advice, providing written reports and the cost of a supervising officer monitoring any reports provided as part of this service	1365.00	1638.00

Fee Exemptions

This may apply to any organisation or individual that may qualify for an exemption from paying the statutory fees for a licence application, for example, educational institutes, buildings used for religious purposes, village and community halls and non-profit making charities.

Disclaimer

Any advice given will be from the Council’s Noise and Nuisance Team and the Council’s Licensing Team, acting in their roles as Responsible Authorities under the provisions of Section 13 of The Licensing Act 2003.

With regard to any pre-application advice, the written confirmation will state that pre-application advice will not give applicants any exemptions from the licensing process.  Responsible Authorities, including the Noise and Nuisance and the Licensing Teams, may still make a representation against the application and the case may still need to be heard at Licensing Sub-Committee for a decision to be made.

The advice given will not include views from other responsible authorities such as the Police, Fire Authority, etc.  Determining any application that is subject to representations will be the function of the Licensing Sub-Committee who will consider the application and the representations on its own merits and determine the application accordingly on the basis of whether it promotes the licensing objectives.

How to make a request for pre-application advice

Complete the request form

Email the completed form to: [email protected]

If you have any problems accessing or completing the form, please call 020 7341 5152

Once we receive your request we will contact you to take payment over the telephone using a debit or credit card. Once payment has been received an officer will contact you within 5 working days.