Our Licensing Review Solicitors Promise

Regular reviews

A regular review can be commenced by any of the responsible authorities, your neighbours or a local councillor. If someone believes your premises are undermining the licensing objectives they can make an application to the Licensing Authority asking for them to Review your licence. 

Expedited reviews 

Expedited reviews are more serious than regular licensing Reviews. Instigated by the police, they can only come about if your premises are associated with serious crime or disorder such as a stabbing, glassing or drug dealing.

When a licensing committee receives an expedited review they must decide within 48 hours if any interim measures such as suspending the premises licence are required.

Your licence will then be listed for a full Review within 28 days, during these 28 days other parties can join the Police calling for a review of your licence. At that hearing, the licensing committee will decide whether to let you carry on as you are or revoke your licence based on the evidence against you.

A licensing review is broken down into three main steps: consultation, committee and outcome.

1. Consultation – The consultation period lasts 28 days and starts when the responsible authorities raise a complaint about your licence (usually the police or local authorities). During this time, other parties affected may choose to join the complaint against you.

2. Committee – The licensing authority will then assemble a committee to consider the case against you, and everyone with concerns will be invited. During this committee meeting, the committee will look at the evidence put forward by both sides.

3. Outcome – A licensing review’s outcome is to modify or restrict your premises licence, revoke it entirely, or continue unchanged if you are successful in your defence.

If you are unsuccessful, the decision can be appealed in the Magistrates’ Court.

When it comes to legal costs, no two licensing review cases are the same. The cost of a licensing review case depends on factors such as the type of business which is being reviewed, the reasoning for the review etc.

To get a more accurate estimate of the legal costs, you will first need to arrange an initial consultation.

During your initial consultation, our solicitors will go through the details of your licensing review, provide an outline of your matter from a legal perspective, advise you on your options, and give you a fee estimate and timelines for your case.

The initial consultation is £90 + VAT (£108), and the hourly legal fees for instructing one of our solicitors is at least £300 + VAT per hour.

The law around a businesses licence is highly problematic. Additionally, the potential consequences of not handling a licensing review properly can put the future of your business into question.

Instructing a licensing review solicitor early on in proceedings, you will ensure that you are fully prepared and have an excellent defence to prevent the situation escalating.

We are currently unable to offer legal aid in any capacity as we lack the necessary legal aid certificate. We also don’t offer pro bono property law work at present.