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Information on the Licensing Act 2003
The Licensing Act 2003 will affect most people living in England and Wales as it seeks to update the country's licensing laws. The Act allows for more flexible opening hours to sell alcohol, provide regulated entertainment and even sell late night refreshment. The Licensing Act 2003 came into force on 24 November 2005.
Licensees will need to promote four fundamental licensing objectives, namely:
- the prevention of crime and disorder
- public safety
- the prevention of public nuisance
- the protection of children from harm
With the introduction of the Licensing Act 2003, the law relating to alcohol sales, public entertainment and late night refreshment has changed. As part of this change, local authorities have responsibility for licensing all outlets within their district/borough that sell alcohol. In addition, premises that provide public entertainment and those premises that provide late night refreshment between the hours of 11pm and 5am have also become licensed under this Act.
The Act, it is hoped, will provide greater freedom and flexibility for the leisure and hospitality industry so that the public may be offered a greater choice, but these greater freedoms will be balanced by providing tougher powers for local authorities and the police to deal with those who act irresponsibly.
If you know the type of licence you require, attachments for both application forms and further information on that application can be found on this page.
Applications can be made for:
- Premises Licence
- Personal Licence
- Club Premises Certificate
- Temporary Event Notices
A list of addresses for responsible authorities under the Licensing Act 2003 and other useful contact details are available on this page.
The new law requires the Licensing Authority to publish a statement of licensing policy. Before it does so, it must consult with those who may be affected by it.
The application forms make reference to The Licensing Act 2003 and guidance issued under Section 182.
New 'no smoking' laws
You will find on this page the signs issued by Smoke Free England that can be downloaded and used at your premises. The signs are the correct size and have the agreed wording to be used.