Alcohol, entertainment licence and late night refreshment, Licensing Act 2003 

Current licensing news

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• Man fined for felling trees
• Short-term lets during Olympic and Paralympic Games
• Tobacco sales

Premises that require licences 

• pubs and night-clubs
• off licences and shops selling alcohol
• restaurants serving alcohol
• businesses selling hot food and drinks between 23:00 hours and 05:00 hours
• hotels, guest houses and other places that sell alcohol
• premises that have provision of public entertainment
• theatres and amateur dramatic clubs
• cinemas
• indoor sporting events
• occasional entertainment of music or dancing or where alcohol is sold

Licences

• Club premises certificate
• Designated Premises Supervisor
• Interim Authority Notice
• Minor variations
• Personal licence
• Premises licence
• Review of premises licence or club premises certificate
• Temporary events notice
• Other applications
• Complaints and appeals
• Contact licensing

Other applications

Copies of the Licensing Act 2003 can be obtained from Office of Public Sector Information or a copy can be inspected at the council offices where you may also obtain an application form and further help or advice.

For both the Licensing Act 2003 and the Secretary of State Guidance, visit the Department of Culture, Media and Sport website.

The following forms are concerned with various aspects of the 2003 Licensing Act

• Provisional Statement form (pdf, 233 kb)
• Notice of Interest in a premises Section178 (pdf, 127 kb)
• Details of change of name or address of premises licence holder (pdf, 71 kb)
• Details of change of name or address of personal licence holder (pdf, 88 kb)
• Request for copy of the premises licence (pdf, 27 kb)

You can read a summary of the regulation relating to the notification of change of name/address for a premises licence holder or a personal licence holder on OPSI's website.

Applications must be sent to the licensing authority for the area where the premises are located or the authority where the personal licence was issued.

What fee do I pay?

The fee for notification of change of name, address or alteration to the club rules is £10.50.

Make an online payment

You can make payment by telephone on 020 7364 5008.

For more information on other changes, see the Licensing Policy (pdf, 226 kb) or the Licensing Act 2003 and the Secretary of State’s Guidance.

Representations

Please note that representations MUST be in writing and that anonymous correspondence will not be taken into consideration. In order to make a representation to a premises licence application, you must be one of the following:

• A person living in the vicinity of the premises
• A body representing persons living in the vicinity of the premises (i.e. residents association etc)
• A person involved in business in the vicinity of the premises
• A body representing persons involved in business in the vicinity of the premises
• Other persons entitled to make representations
• A Ward Councillor
• A responsible authority (i.e. Police, Environmental Protection etc)
• The Licensing Authority 

In order for us to consider your representation, you must make it clear how granting this application will have an impact and "relevant" to one or more of the following licensing objectives:

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

Please note that we require your full address in order to consider your representation and it will become a public document. Also, copies of all representations will be supplied in full to the applicant.

Vaxatious/Frivolous representations

Please note that we cannot accept vexatious or frivolous representations. Vexatious circumstances may arise because of disputes between rival businesses and frivolous representations would be essentially categorised by a lack of seriousness. Also, we cannot accept representations on moral grounds or the lack of 'need' for the premises.

Petition

For us to consider a petition, it must state the full name including signatures and address of the author, the title of the petition, and the reason for it, including which of the four objectives it refers to. This must be stated on each individual page for it to be considered. It is important to ensure that the licensing authority can determine whether all the signatories are within the ‘vicinity’ of the premises. It would also help if a spokesperson could volunteer to speak on behalf of the petitioners at the hearing.

Complaints and appeals

If an application for a licence is refused following a licensing subcommittee, the failed applicant can appeal the decision. For example, a licence holder may appeal against any conditions attached to a licence, a decision to reject a variation application, a decision to reject a transfer application or a decision to exclude an activity or person as premises supervisor.

Please contact us directly in the first instance. The appeal must be to the Thames Magistrates Court, 58 Bow Road, London E3 4DJ. A notice of appeal must be given to the justices’ chief executive for the Magistrates Court within a period of 21 days beginning with the day on which the appellant was notified by the Licensing Authority.

Consumer complaint and reviews

We would advise that in the event of a complaint the first contact is made with the trader by you - preferably in the form a letter (with proof of delivery). If that has not worked, please contact us.

Interested parties (local residents, local businesses or a Ward Councillor) and responsible authorities (i.e. Metropolitan Police, Environmental Protection etc) may apply to the licensing authority to review the premises licence if they are of the opinion that the following licensing objectives are being undermined:

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

However, the Licensing Authority can reject a review application if they are frivolous, vexatious or repetitious. The review application will be dealt with by way of a public hearing by the Tower Hamlets Licensing Sub-Committee. The relevant parties will be notified of the hearing in writing.

All the relevant parties will have the option to appeal our decision. The appeal must be made to the Magistrates Court. A notice of appeal must be given to the justices’ chief executive for the Magistrates Court within a period of 21 days beginning with the day on which the appellant was notified by the Licensing Authority.

Other reviews

A chief police officer may apply for a review of the premises licence if in their opinion the premises are associated with serious crime and disorder.

A hearing will be held by us and the licence holder and other interested parties may make representations.

An interested party or relevant authority who made relevant representations may appeal against the granting of a licence or against any condition, variation or licensable activity.

The appeal must be made to the Magistrates Court. A notice of appeal must be given to the justices’ chief executive for the Magistrates Court within a period of 21 days beginning with the day on which the appellant was notified by the Licensing Authority.

Contact us

Please note that a meeting with Licensing Officer must be by appointments only

London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Licensing Section
Mulberry Place
5 Clove Crescent
London E14 2BG

Tel: 020 7364 5008
Fax: 020 7364 0863 (9am to 5pm Monday to Friday only)
Email: licensing@towerhamlets.gov.uk