Name
Premises licence
Summary

A premises licence is a licence that is granted to authorise the premises to be used for licensable activities, namely the:

  • Retail sale of alcohol
  • Provision of regulated entertainment
  • Provision of late night refreshment

View the licensed premises register

As of 6 April 2017 there were new forms for Licensing Act applications - applicants now need to state they have the right to work in the UK.

About this licence

Premises licence on GOV.UK

Legislation

The Licensing Act 2003 (Premises licences and club premises certificates) Regulations 2005

Fees

The application fee payable is dependant on the non-domestic rateable value of the premises.

New premises licences and club premises certificates and one off event over 499 people
Rateable value band Fee Fee for premises exclusively or primarily supplying alcohol
A - no rateable value to £4,300 £100  
B - £4,300 - £33,000 £190  
C - £33,001 - £87,000 £315  
D - £87,001 - £125,000 £450 £900
E - £125,001 and above £635 £1905
Annual fees* - premises licences and club premises certificates VAT zero
premise licence or club premise certificate
Rateable value band Fee Fee for premises exclusively or primarily supplying alcohol
A - no rateable value to £4,300 £70  
B - £4,300 - £33,000 £180  
C - £33,001 - £87,000 £295  
D - £87,001 - £125,000 £320 £640
E - £125,001 and above £350 £1050
Additional fee to new and annual fee of premises licence or club premise certificate if over a certain amount of persons
Number Additional fee new application Additional few annual renewal
5,000 - 9,999 £1000 £500
10,000 - 14,999 £2000 £1000 
15,000 - 19,999 £4000 £2000 
20,000 - 29,999 £8000 £4000
30,000 - 30,999 £16,000 £8000
40,000 - 49,999 £24,000 £12,000
50,000 - 59,999 £32,000 £16,000
60,000 - 69,999 £40,000 £20,000 
70,000 - 79,999 £48,000 £24,000
80,000 - 89,999 £56,000 £28,000
90,000 and over £64,000 £32,000
Other Fees
Minor variation £89
Vary designated premises supervisor (DPS) £23
Transfer premises licence £23
Change of name or address £10.50
Change of club rules £10.50
Change of registered address of club £10.50
Theft or loss of premises or club licence or summary £10.50
Interim authority notice following death etc. of licence holder £23
Right of freeholder notice following death etc. to be notified of licensing matters £21
Application for a provisional statement where premises being built etc. premise licence £315

*Exemptions

The following organisations are exempt from paying a premise licence fee when they are only providing regulated entertainment:

  • Education institutions such as schools or colleges
  • Premises forming part of a church hall, chapel hall or other similar building

 

Application and guidance notes

Pre-application service

We now offer a pre-application service which can be tailored to meet your needs and is for applicants applying for any type of licence under the Licensing Act. We offer three levels of service - application advice, application assistance, and a check and send service or any combination of these. Find out more about this service.

Apply for a premises licence

Please note, if you are applying to transfer a premises licence, upon completion of the transfer you will become liable for the annual fee payment, which becomes due and payable each year on the anniversary of the date of the grant of the premise licence and relates to the previous year's licence period.

If the transfer is unsuccessful it will remain in the current premises licence holder's name and it is their responsibility to check with us that the licence has transferred successfully.

Consultation with specified responsible authorities is part of the application process for a new certificate. If you apply online, we will consult the responsible authorities on your behalf.

If you are thinking of holding an event in Herefordshire, please notify the Safety Advisory Group (SAG).

With regards to advertising, our advice to applicants, agents and solicitors is not to advertise until you have had confirmation that your application has been accepted by us. We will also give you the templates for the notices and the consultation dates to go on the notices when we send confirmation that your application has been accepted.

It is with regret that we are now unable to provide any advice in respect of newspaper or premise notices unless you have requested and paid for our pre-application service.

Processing and timescales

We must grant the application, which can be subject to conditions. A hearing must be held if any representations are made in respect of the application. If a hearing is held the licence can be granted or granted subject to additional conditions, licensable activities listed in the application can be excluded or the application can be rejected.

We will serve a notice of our decision on the applicant, any person who has made relevant representations (for example representations that were not deemed frivolous or vexatious) and the chief of police.

The responsible authorities have 28 consecutive days to consider the application served upon them. Members of the public and interested parties also have a 28-day period within which to consider making a relevant representation.

Representations can be made by responsible authorities or members of the public by completing the representation form. Forms should be received no later than the end of the consultation period.

Where no objections or relevant representations are made by responsible authorities or interested parties, the licensing authority must grant the premises licence on the twenty-ninth consecutive day subject only to the mandatory conditions and the operating schedule.

You can also apply to vary or transfer a licence. There may be a hearing if representations are made relating to a variation application.

You can apply for an interim authority notice following the death, incapacity or insolvency of a licence holder. You can apply to vary the licence to change the designated supervisor or to review a licence.

Validity and renewals

You will be charged the annual fee on the anniversary of the grant of the licence, this will cover the previous year, in arrears and will continue until you surrender your licence.
Licences that authorise only regulated entertainment, i.e. schools, community premises are exempt from the annual fee. 

As there is no legal requirement for councils to send out letters or invoices advising premises that their annual fee is due for payment, we ceased the issue of postal reminders in respect of annual fees on 1 October 2024.  If however we have an email address for you we will continue to send an email notice that the annual fee for your premises licence is due, please note no separate invoice will be issued.

Note: If a premises licence holder leaves without paying the annual fee and another proprietor wishes to take over the premises and trade then any outstanding fees must be paid before the licence can be transferred to the new licence holder.

If the transfer is unsuccessful it will remain in the current premises licence holders name and it is their responsibility to check with the local authority that the licence has transferred successfully.

Make annual payment for a premises licence

Surrender a licence

If you no longer need a premises licence, for example if your premises is closing down, you need to let us know and surrender the premises licence.

If the premises stops trading and you do not surrender the licence, you will continue to be liable for any annual fees for as long as the licence remains in force.

To surrender the licence, download and complete the form and if possible, return the licence.

Download a form to surrender a premises licence

Post your completed form and licence to:

  • Herefordshire Council, Licensing Department, Plough Lane, Hereford HR4 0LE

The licence will lapse when we receive your letter.

There is then a period of 28 days during which any new occupier of the premises may apply to reinstate it, after which time the licence will lapse permanently.

Any new occupier wishing to carry on licensable activities after that time would need to apply for a new premises licence.

Current applications

View current applications

Complaints
Contact us in the first instance.
Contact details
  • Telephone: 01432 261761 (All calls are dealt with by our contact centre staff and are allocated to an officer who will take action on the service request between one to ten working days)
  • Email: licensing@herefordshire.gov.uk
  • Address: Herefordshire Council, Licensing Department, Plough Lane, Hereford HR4 0LE - for correspondence only
    There is no reception open to the general public in respect of licensing at Plough Lane and staff have no access or ability to photocopy applications or documents.
    You should send applications or documents by email to licensing@herefordshire.gov.uk

Emails to the department are allocated to the appropriate staff member who will take action between one to ten working days.
If you have not had a response before the 10 working days have expired please do not contact us again, as it may further delay a response. Please also ensure you have quoted your licence or taxi licence reference number or given your address in your call/email.
Sending repeat or chaser emails will not prompt a quicker response and may result in a back log of emails and a possible further delay.

Thank you for your understanding.