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Licences are granted to businesses or business premises to permit a company to carry out specific activities. The most common types of licences are:

• Premises licences, typically granted to pubs, bars and clubs, but also to hotels, festivals and some co-working spaces, enabling them to sell alcohol and offer entertainment. Often combined with extended hours licences to enable a premises to remain open for longer.
• Gambling licences, which are granted to casinos, bingo halls, amusement arcades and bookmakers
• Activities licences, which cover businesses offering outdoor activities like hikes, caving and watersports
• Food business registrations and food premises approvals for cafés, restaurants, catering businesses and other premises handling or preparing food

Such licences are granted in the interest of safety, and may come under review if there are any concerns about:

• crime and disorder
• public nuisance
• children coming into harm
• general public safety

Failure to respond effectively to a licensing review could lead to the suspension or removal of a business’ licence.

There are two types of licensing review that can be triggered:

Regular reviews

Normally initiated by licensing bodies, members of the public or local councils. If someone believes your business is undermining the terms or objectives of its licence, 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. They are instigated by the police if a business premises is associated with serious crime or disorder such as 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 continue granting the licence concerned, or to revoke it based on the evidence against you.

A regular 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.

Licensing review costs vary depending on the type of licence under review, how complex and serious the complaints are that call the licence into question, and how quickly the defence case needs to be prepared.

For simple reviews, you can expect to pay between £2,000 to £10,000 exclusive of VAT. For more complex licence reviews, costs start from £10,000 plus VAT and disbursements.

Please note that these are fees for licensing reviews and not initial licence applications.