Applying for a Premises Licence

From “do I even need a licence?” to standing in front of the sub-committee – the premises licence process, done right.

Applying for a premises licence looks like paperwork. In practice it is a test of preparation, judgement and relationships – and it is easy to get wrong in ways that cost you weeks, or the goodwill of the people living next to your event.

This course takes you from the first question – do you even need a licence and if so which kind – all the way to a licensing sub-committee hearing with a fair chance of a good outcome. It covers England and Wales under the Licensing Act 2003.

The course costs £79.00

Who it’s for

First-timers doing it themselves, who need the whole picture in plain English.
Established organisers and teams who want to sharpen their approach and stop making avoidable mistakes.
Organisers who use a solicitor or licensing agent – so they can brief them, supervise them and hold their own line, rather than handing over a briefcase.

What you’ll learn

Choose the right instrument for your event – premises licence, variation, or a Temporary Event Notice (TEN).
Prepare an application that is right first time and advertise and serve it correctly.
Write an Operating Schedule that answers the four licensing objectives.
Anticipate and handle representations and a hearing – what to say and what not to.
Hold a calm, disciplined line on scope and disclosure.
Supervise a professional applying on your behalf, if you choose to use one.

Course aim

To take an organiser from the first licensing question to a sub-committee hearing with confidence – choosing the right instrument, preparing an application that is right first time and handling representations and a hearing well.

Overview

The most expensive mistakes in licensing are made in the first decision, not the last. This course is built to work for three readers at once – the first-timer, the experienced organiser and the organiser who outsources to a professional and needs to supervise them properly.

Two things run through every lesson: a running “Common pitfall” flag, because knowing where people trip up is half the battle; and a single anonymised sample event, so you always see the idea applied to something real. The course sits alongside the Responsible Persons Training and builds naturally on Working with your Safety Advisory Group and Working with Others – licensing is one of the clearest places where all three come together.

You will explore

Whether you need a licence at all – the three licensable activities and the routes available
Temporary Event Notices (TENs) as the lighter option, including the changes arriving on 1 January 2027
Preparing the application – right first time, correctly advertised and served
The four licensing objectives and answering them well in your Operating Schedule
Representations, hearings and the sub-committee – and holding a disciplined line on scope
Working through an agent – disclosure, supervision and keeping ownership of your promises

By the end of the course you will have

A clear way to choose the lightest instrument that lawfully covers your event
An application approach that is right first time and correctly advertised
An Operating Schedule that answers the four objectives
A calm, disciplined method for representations, hearings and scope
The confidence to supervise a professional rather than hand over control

Course materials

Six lessons, an applied exercise (completing a real application for the sample event, with an Operating Schedule template and a submission checklist) and downloadable templates.

Assessment

A 12-question knowledge check; a certificate on completion.

CPD hours

Around 4.5 to 5 hours (working model).

Honest word on scope

This course covers the Licensing Act 2003 as it applies in England and Wales. Scotland operates a different regime and is not covered. This is practical training, not legal advice: it explains how the process works and how to approach it well, so you can make informed decisions and, where you use a professional, supervise them properly.