You will need a premises licence if you want to:
- Sell alcohol by retail
- Provide regulated entertainment (such as live music, a play or an indoor sporting event)
- Provide hot food and drinks between 11pm and 5am
You will also need a premises licence if you are organising an event that is likely to attract over 500 people. You still need a licence even if the event or activity is for charity.
Before you apply
You need to read and understand the requirements set out on this page, and the Home Office guidance, before you submit an application for a licence. We cannot proceed with your application unless you give us all the information we need.
We strongly recommend that you seek professional licensing advice from a solicitor or licensing consultant before submitting your form, to avoid having your application rejected as invalid.
Alternatively, we can provide you with help prior to your submission via our Business Support Service which includes full pre-application advice and also a form checking service.
Pre-application advice
We will provide advice and assistance in completing the application form including:
- appropriate conditions
- drawing up plans
- nominating an appropriate Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) where applicable
- advertising and statutory notices
You must read our Privacy Policy and agree to the following terms and conditions to use this service.
The final decision about any application is made by Councillors or under delegated authority after the application has been submitted and been subject to a consultation period (where required).
We are unable to give any guarantees about the decision that will be made in relation to applications.
This application only applies to pre-application assistance and therefore ceases to apply once the application is submitted.
We will not deal with your request until payment has been received.
Please be aware that the confidentiality of information provided to us cannot be guaranteed because it is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act and we may be obligated to disclose information about pre-application assistance requests and the advice that we have provided.
The cost of this service is £207.60 including VAT.
Apply for this service with our online form
Checking service
We will ensure you have completed the correct sections of your application form and attached all relevant supporting documents, and will inform you of anything that needs correcting before you submit your application.
The cost of this service is £55.20 including VAT.
To apply for this service, please use our online form to provide details of your request and make your payment. For help with the online form read our user guide.
Application details
Your application must include the following details:
- an operating schedule
- a site plan of the premises (site plan guidance)
- the address of the premises
If you plan to sell alcohol, you will also need to include a form of consent from the premises supervisor.
Fees and prices
Prices and fees for premises licences are based on the rateable value of your premises, from Bands A to E. Check your rateable value on the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) website. You can view the rateable value parameters for each band on the Home Office website.
Select a topic below to view the fees and charges for premises licences.
| Premises band | Price |
|---|---|
| A | £100 |
| B | £190 |
| C | £315 |
| D | £450 |
| D (mainly selling alcohol) | £900 |
| E | £635 |
| E (mainly selling alcohol) | £1,905 |
| Premises band | Price |
|---|---|
| A | £70 |
| B | £180 |
| C | £295 |
| D | £320 |
| D (mainly selling alcohol) | £640 |
| E | £350 |
| E (mainly selling alcohol) | £1,050 |
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Replacement of a lost or stolen certificate or summary | £10.50 |
| Right of freeholder to be notified of licensing matters | £21 |
| Transfer of a premises licence | £23 |
| Varying a licence to specify a premises supervisor | £23 |
| Minor variation to a premises licence | £89 |
| Provisional statement of construction, extensions or alterations | £315 |
We will also charge an additional fee on top of the premises licence for exceptionally large events. The cost of the additional charge depends on the number of people attending the event.
| Number of people attending the event | Additional licence fee | Additional annual fee (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|
| 5,000 to 9,999 | £1,000 | £500 |
| 10,000 to 14,999 | £2,000 | £1,000 |
| 15,000 to 19,999 | £4,000 | £2,000 |
| 20,000 to 29,999 | £8,000 | £4,000 |
| 30,000 to 39,999 | £16,000 | £8,000 |
| 40,000 to 49,999 | £24,000 | £12,000 |
| 50,000 to 59,999 | £32,000 | £16,000 |
| 60,000 to 69,999 | £40,000 | £20,000 |
| 70,000 to 79,999 | £48,000 | £24,000 |
| 80,000 to 89,999 | £56,000 | £28,000 |
| 90,000 and over | £64,000 | £32,000 |
Licence duration
We grant premises licences for the lifetime of your business, unless we state otherwise. However, we can revoke or suspend your licence if you breach the terms of your licence.
You can also surrender a licence, if you want to.
How to apply
You can apply for a premises licence by using our online form.
Further information
When you receive confirmation from us that your application is valid, you must also do the following:
- Display a notice outside the premises for 28 days (you must print this on pale blue paper)
- Give public notice of your application in a local newspaper within 10 working days of the application
You can download the notice templates below:
- Premises licence public notice template (you must print this on pale blue paper)
- Premises licence newspaper notice template
Select a topic below to find out more about premises licences.
Once we receive your application, we will start a 28 day public consultation period.
We will notify and consult with:
- Planning
- The Fire Authority
- The Police
- Trading Standards
- Environmental Health
- Director of Public Health
- Home Office Immigration Enforcement
All of the responsible authorities listed above or any other person can make a representation about an application within the 28 day consultation period.
We must allow 28 days for objections to be made. If we receive any objections, the application will be referred to our Licensing Committee for determination.
The Chief of Police can give notice if they believe that the transfer of a licence to another under a variation application could undermine crime prevention objectives. The Police must provide this within 14 days of receiving notification of the application.
If we do not receive any relevant representations against your application, we will grant the licence once the consultation period ends.
We aim to determine applications within 60 days.
Tacit consent applies. This means that you will be able to act as though your application is granted if you have not heard from us after 60 days.
If you want to appeal a licence rejection, please email us at: licensing@bathnes.gov.uk
A licence holder or applicant may appeal against any of the following decisions:
- Refusing an application for the grant of a licence
- Refusing an application to vary a licence
- Refusing an application to transfer a licence
- Attaching conditions to a licence
- Excluding an activity
- Excluding a person as premises supervisor
If an objection is made by the Chief of Police and interim steps are taken by the licensing authority, a licence holder may make representations to us. We will hold a hearing within 48 hours of your representations.
If you wish to appeal a decision, you can apply to Bath Magistrates’ Court within 21 days of being notified of the decision.
If you feel that a licensed premises is causing you regular problems, you have the right to apply for the licence to be reviewed
You can also object to a premises licence or club premises certificate that has not yet been granted by making a representation
If you believe a business is operating without a premises licence, please report this to us using our online form
We have made the information on these web pages as comprehensive as possible. However, in attempting to simplify the law, certain requirements have been omitted. Full details of what you must do are in the relevant legislation.
Laws can and do change. We must advise that only the Courts can give an authoritative opinion on statute law.
- Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR)
- Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU)
- Federation of Licensed Victuallers Associations (FLVA)
Variation, transfer, review and notice templates
If you want to vary, transfer or review an existing licence; transfer or disapply a designated premises supervisor (DPS); or submit a notification of interest or provisional statement, you need to complete a PDF application form and send this to us by emailing us at licensing@bathnes.gov.uk
You can download the forms and any notice templates you need by selecting a topic below, then clicking on the download button within the document.
- Variation of an existing licence
- Minor variation of an existing licence
- Transfer an existing licence (to be completed by the new premises licence holder)
- Transfer consent from current licence holder (to be completed by the outgoing premises licence holder)
- Variation of DPS for an existing licence (to be completed by the premises licence holder)
- Consent from new DPS (to be completed by the new DPS)
- Disapply DPS for an existing licence
- Review an existing licence
- Change of name or address (please tell us the details of the required change, including your licence number, and pay £10.50 via our online payment form)
Some forms are also available in alternative formats on the GOV.UK premises licence webpage.
- Variation public notice (you must print this on pale blue paper)
- Variation newspaper notice
- Minor variation public notice
Help keep your customers safe
There are a number of local and national campaigns you should be aware of as a licence holder, designed to keep consumers and customers safe. Use this guide to find out more about these campaigns, what you should do on your premises, and how to access more resources and information.
Ask for Angela is a safety initiative designed to help individuals who feel unsafe, vulnerable, or threatened in licensed venues such as bars, clubs and restaurants. The scheme allows for those individuals who require help to discreetly seek assistance by approaching a staff member and asking for ‘Angela’.
The trained member of staff will recognise that the individual requires assistance and will respond in a discreet and appropriate manner. They may contact security, guide the person to a secure location, or help them exit the venue unnoticed.
Ask for Angela helps maintain a safe environment within venues, which in turn enhances public confidence in safety and encourages greater participation in the night time economy.
To ensure that members of staff can easily identify potentially vulnerable individuals and know the best way to support them, Ask for Angela offer free training workbooks for managers and staff, as well as enhanced training options.
View the Ask for Angela resources, including workbooks, incident report forms, and posters
The national Drink Spiking Campaign is an initiative aimed at raising awareness, improving prevention measures, and strengthening legal responses to drink spiking incidents.
National campaigns like Stamp Out Spiking aim to increase public awareness and educate people about the dangers of drink spiking, particularly during high-risk periods like Halloween and Christmas.
Read more at the Stamp Out Spiking website.
With the campaign calling for additional support for victims, efforts include training venue staff, providing resources for victims, and promoting anti-spiking products that help protect drinks from tampering.
The UK Government has additionally issued guidance for venues and festival organisers that emphasise the need for staff training around drink spiking, CCTC monitoring and safeguarding victims
The Get ME Home Safely campaign, launched by Unite the Union, is a collaborative initiative between Unite’s Passenger and Hospitality sectors, with backing from Unite’s Equality department and its various committees. The campaign was established in response to growing concerns regarding the safety of night time economy and shift workers who often struggle to find and pay for transport home after nightwork.
The guiding principle of the campaign is that all workers should have access to safe transportation at any time of the day, with a call for employers to collaborate with the union to develop effective solutions to ensure that employees working beyond 11pm can travel to and from their workplaces safely.
Find out more information, including downloadable campaign materials, at the Unite the Union website.
The Violence Against Women and Girls scheme is a government-led initiative aimed at reducing gender-based violence and improving support for victims through policy changes and public awareness.
The campaign highlights the high prevalence of violence against women, with statistics showing that over one in four women experience sexual assault of attempted assault in their lifetime.
The Metropolitan Police launched the ‘Tackling Violence against Women and Girls Action Plan’ in December 2024 that outlines a comprehensive strategy to address gender-based violence through prevention, protection, and legal reforms in ten commitments. The plan emphasises the need for systematic change, urging communities to work together to create safter environments for women and girls.
The key focus areas included prevention, support for victims, law enforcement improvement, and policy and funding commitments. Read the full action plan at the Met Police website.
An additional update on the plan was published in summer of 2024: Read the latest update.