Apply for an alcohol and entertainment premises licence

You may need a premises licence under the Licensing Act 2003 if you wish to undertake any of the following;

  • Sale by retail of alcohol or supply of alcohol in a club 
  • Provision of late night refreshment: the sale of hot food or hot drink between 11.00pm and 5.00am 
  • Regulated entertainment, as defined as one or more of the following:
    • A performance of a play 
    • An exhibition of a film 
    • An indoor sporting event 
    • A boxing or wrestling entertainment 
    • A performance of live music 
    • Any playing of recorded music 
    • A performance of dance 
    • Entertainment of a similar description to a performance of live music, any playing of recorded music or a performance of dance 

We do offer a pre application service for all applications listed below, this includes writing the application and preparing the public notices to be displayed for the consultation period. 

There is a pre-application fee of £51 per hour.

If you wish to apply for the pre-application service, contact us by email at Licensing@swindon.gov.uk.

How to apply for a premises licence

To apply for a premises licence you will need to do the following:

  • Read our statement of licensing policy 
  • Complete a premises licence application form or alternatively use our online application form below
  • Complete a consent form – this must be signed by the individual who will be the Designated Premises Supervisor (you only need to provide this if your application includes the sale of alcohol)
  • Provide a floor plan to scale which should show:
    • the extent of the boundary of the building, if relevant, and any external and internal walls of the building and, if different, the perimeter of the premises
    • the location of points of access to and egress from the premises
    • the location of escape routes from the premises if different from the location points of access above
    • the area within the premises used for each activity, in a case where the premises is to be used for more than one licensable activity
    • fixed structures, including furniture, or similar objects temporarily in a fixed location which may impact on the ability of individuals on the premises to use exits or escape routes without impediment
    • the location and height of each stage or area relative to the floor in a case where the premises includes a stage or raised area
    • the location of the steps, stairs, elevators or lifts, in a case where the premises includes any of these
    • the location of the room or rooms, in cases where the premises includes any room or rooms containing public conveniences
    • the location and type of any fire safety and any other safety equipment including, if applicable, marine safety equipment
    • the location of a kitchen, if any, on the premises
  • Prove your right to work in the UK (photocopy of passport or birth certificate)
  • Make the payment fee which is based on the non-domestic rateable value of the property which you can find on the Government website

If you plan on making use of our online application form, please see the list of attachments below, required to submit a valid application.

  • Plan of the premises
  • Consent form completed by the nominated Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) - required for applications that include the sale of alcohol (see consent form above)
  • Application to include the Alternative Mandatory Condition (if applicable)
  • Proof of your right to work in the United Kingdom - individual applicants only

Premises licence online application form

Small changes can be made to a premises licence or club premises certificate using the minor variation process, which is cheaper, easier and quicker than the full variation process.

A minor variation is defined as one that could not impact adversely on any of the four licensing objectives and may be used for: 

  • small changes to the structure or layout of a premises
  • the addition of authorisation for late night refreshment or regulated entertainment, for example, performance of plays or film exhibitions
  • small changes to licensing hours (see below for changes that relate to alcohol)
  • revisions, removals and additions of conditions which could include the removal or amendment of out of date, irrelevant or unenforceable conditions, or the addition of volunteered conditions

The minor variations process cannot be used to:

  • add the retail or supply of alcohol to a licence
  • extend licensing hours for the sale or supply of alcohol at any time between 11.00pm and 7.00am
  • increase the amount of time on any day during which alcohol may be sold by retail or supplied
  • extend the period for which the licence or certificate has effect
  • transfer the licence or certificate from one premises to another, or vary substantially the premises to which it relates
  • specify, in a premises licence, an individual as the premises supervisor
  • add the sale by retail or supply of alcohol as an activity authorised by a licence or certificate
  • dis-apply the mandatory conditions relating to a designated premises supervisor (there is a separate process by which community premises can apply for this)

The fee for a minor variation is £89 which must be included with your application.

Alternatively you can apply using our online application below:

Minor variation application form

Under the minor variation process, applicants are not required to advertise the variation in a newspaper or copy it to responsible authorities.

However, it must be displayed on a white notice to distinguish it from the blue notice used for full variations and new applications and the notice must comply with the requirements set out in regulation 26A of the Licensing Act 2003 (Premises licences and club premises certificates) Regulations 2005.

If any changes are required to what is authorised by your premises licence, you are required to make an application to vary the licence.

Possible changes include:

  • varying the hours during which a licensable activity is permitted
  • adding licensable activities
  • amending, adding or removing conditions within a licence
  • altering any aspect of the layout of the premises which is shown on the plan

Depending on the proposed changes, it may be possible for you to submit a minor variation application.

Fees are based on the non-domestic rateable value of the premises (NDRV). The NDRV of any premises can be checked on the Valuation Office Agency (VOA). Premises that do not have a non-domestic rateable value are treated as falling into Band A for licensing fee purposes.

Full variation application form

Under the variation process applicants are required to advertise the variation in a newspaper and on the premises this must be displayed on a blue notice. The notice must comply with the requirements set out in regulation 26A of the Licensing Act 2003 (Premises licences and club premises certificates) Regulations 2005.

Premises licences that authorise the sale of alcohol must specify an individual as the DPS.

Only the licence holder can apply to vary a licence to change a DPS.

The person nominated as the new DPS on a premises licence must complete a consent form. The DPS must be over 18 years of age and must hold a personal licence.

Attachments required for the application:

The application fee is £23. 

Alternatively you can apply online using the form below:

Change of DPS application form

If you wish to take over a premises licence, you must make an application to transfer it and also obtain consent from the existing licence holder.

A premises licence can only be transferred to a party who would be in a position to use the premises for licensable activities authorised by that licence.

An application to transfer a premises licence may usually only be made with the consent of the existing licence holder however, consent may not be required if the applicant can demonstrate:

  • that they have taken all reasonable steps to obtain that consent
  • that, if the applicant wishes the transfer to have immediate effect, they would be in a position to use the premises during the 14-day consultation period for the licensable activity or activities authorised by the premises licence

Attachments required for the application:

The application fee is £23.

Transfer premises application form 

If a premises licence lapses due to the death, incapacity or insolvency of the licence holder, someone with an interest in the premises or someone connected to the person who previously held the licence, can submit an Interim Authority Notice (IAN).

An IAN must be submitted within 28 days of the date the licence lapsed.

The licence is then reinstated and the person who submitted the notice is then the holder of the licence. An IAN remains in force for a period of three months during which time an application to transfer the licence can be made.

Home Office Immigration Enforcement will need to be served with a copy of the application (where the premises sells alcohol by retail or provides late night refreshment), and will have 14 days to object if they have grounds to do so.

The fee for this variation is £23.

Interim authority notice application form

A person with a property interest in a licensed premises may apply to be notified of any change to the register for the premises to which the notice relates.

A person with a property interest has either:

  • a legal interest as freeholder or leaseholder
  • a mortgage on the premises
  • a right to occupy the premises
  • a prescribed interest in the premises

Once the notice is received, we will register your interest, endorse the notice and return it to you.

You will be notified of any subsequent applications under the Licensing Act 2003, in respect of the premises you have registered and interest.

The application fee is £21.

Notification of Interest application form

A provisional statement is an alternative to applying for a premises licence directly, when new premises are being built or existing premises are being altered dramatically.

The fee for this variation is £315, regardless of the rateable value. 

Provisional statement application form

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