Licensing under the Licensing Act 2003

You need a premises licence from the Royal Borough of Greenwich in order to:

  • sell alcohol
  • supply alcohol at a club
  • provide regulated entertainment
  • provide facilities for regulated entertainment
  • provide refreshments between 11pm and 5am.

Additionally, all sales of alcohol must be made by, or under the authority of, a personal licence holder.

Also, if you are applying for a premises licence that includes consent to supply or sell alcohol, you must appoint a designated premises supervisor (DPS). This person must also be a personal licence holder.

Exceptions

You do not need a premises licence if:

  • you are holding a certain type of one-off or occasional event. In this case, you need a temporary event notice
  • your establishment is a qualifying club (members' club). In this case you need to obtain a club premises certificate
  • you provide refreshments between 11pm and 5am and fall into an exempt category.

or for the following types of late-night refreshment:

  • hot drinks distributed by a machine that is operated solely by the customer
  • hot food or hot drink supplied free of charge, where there is also no charge for admission to any premises, or a change for some other item to obtain the hot food or hot drink
  • hot food or hot drink supplied by a registered charity or by a person authorised by a registered charity (registered under the Charities Act 1993, or not required by this act to be registered)
  • hot food or hot drink supplied on a moving vehicle, for example trains, coaches and limousines
  • hot food or hot drink supplied to members and guests of recognized clubs that hold a club premises certificate
  • hot food or hot drink supplied to hotel and bed and breakfast guests
  • refreshments in staff canteens, where the staff are required to work between 11pm and 5am.

How long does a premises licence last?

A premises licence lasts for the lifetime of the business, unless you apply for a licence for a shorter period.