Fylde law man warns over licencing changes

Malcolm Ireland, partner and head of leisure and licensing at law firm Napthens, explains that premises licences provide permission for operators to carry out certain activities including the sale of alcohol, regulated entertainment and late-night refreshment.

A plan will invariably form part of the premises licence and that plan must accurately reflect the layout of the site, but it is an element that is often over-looked.

As a result, Malcolm’s team has encountered a number of situations where a premises has found themselves in a difficult situation with the authorities.

He said: “An issue we encounter fairly frequently is where premises have been refurbished and the layout has altered, but an application has not been submitted to update the plans accompanying the licence.

"The lack of an application to vary may go unnoticed initially, but if one of the authorities subsequently notices then the premises could find themselves in a difficult situation.”