Property Advice zone

Know your licences
In association with leisure specialist Davis Coffer Lyons

Licensing can be extremely confusing, even daunting, for newcomers to the industry. Never mind trying to keep up with the Government's vacillations on the licensing laws, just getting to grips with the basics can be an arduous process. One option is to employ a licensing solicitor but, when every penny counts, that can look like one additional expense too many.

Help is at hand from leisure specialist Davis Coffer Lyons, which has put together a useful advice sheet to help businesses get to grips with the different types of licences, and to cut through some of the complexity.

There are five main types:

- Justices Full On Licence without Conditions

This is the licence that allows alcohol to be consumed by the general public without necessarily taking a meal. Licensing hours normally extend to 11pm, with 20 minutes of "supping-up time".

- Justices Full On Licence with Conditions

This is commonly known as a Restaurant Licence, and allows the sale of alcohol with the condition that a meal must be taken at the same time.

- Supper Hour Certificate

This certificate can be applied to either of the above licences, and allows trading for an additional hour, with the strict condition that a meal must be taken if alcohol is being consumed.

- Extended Hours Certificate

This allows an extension to the standard licensing hours whereby alcohol can be sold to a specific time without the condition that a meal must be taken.

- Public Entertainment Licence

Previously known as the Music & Dance Licence, this may or may not run concurrently with an Extended Hours Certificate for the sale of alcohol. The Public Entertainment Licence is granted by the Local Authority, while the Magistrates Courts deals with all forms of Liquor Licences. A Public Entertainment Licence is always required where either live music (featuring more than two performers) or dancing is to take place on a premises. Where granted, the maximum capacity of persons to be permitted on the premises will be set by the Fire Officer.

www.daviscofferlyons.co.uk