Minor Variations to Premises and Club Premises Licences
Minor Variations to Premises and Club Premises Licences
Minor changes can be made to Premises Licences and Club Premises Certificates through the 'minor variation' procedure.
This procedure allows for low impact changes that would not undermine the licensing objectives to take place without the need for the full variation application procedure.
The licensing objectives are:
- the prevention of crime and disorder
- public safety
- the prevention of public nuisance
- the protection of children from harm
What is a Minor Variation?
Minor variations will generally fall into four categories:
- Minor changes to the structure or layout of the premises
- Small adjustments to licensing hours (but cannot be used to extend hours for the sale or supply of alcohol)
- The removal of out of date, irrelevant or unenforceable conditions or the addition of volunteered conditions
What is NOT a Minor Variation?
An application for a minor variation must not be made to vary a premises licence to:
- Extend the period for which the licence has effect;
- Vary substantially the premises to which it relates;
- Specify an individual as the Premises Supervisor;
- Add the sale by retail of alcohol as an activity;
- Authorise the sale by retail of alcohol between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. or;
- An increase in the amount of time on any day during which alcohol may be sold by retail or supplied.
How to apply
Advertising
You will need to advertise a minor variation application for premises licences and for club premises certificates by placing a public notice on the outside of the premises. There is no requirement for a notice to be placed in a newspaper.
The notice must be displayed for a period of not less than ten working days, starting on the day after the day on you give the application to the licensing authority (i.e. if you hand in your application on a Friday then the start date of the ten working day period will generally be the following Monday unless the Monday is a bank holiday when it would be the Tuesday). The notice must be:
- at least A4 in size
- printed on white paper (not pale blue as required for a full variation application)
- printed legibly or typed in black ink. The heading in a font equal to or larger than 32, the rest of the notice a font equal to or larger than 16.
You can download an example public notice below
Minor Variation Application Public Notice Template (docx)
Consultation
On receipt of the application for a minor variation the licensing authority must consider whether the application could impact adversely on the licensing objectives.
In considering the application, the licensing authority will consult relevant responsible authorities. The licensing authority must consider any relevant representation received from a responsible authority. The representation is only relevant if it clearly relates to the likely effect of the grant of the variation on at least one of licensing objectives.
Decision
Licensing authorities must allow the ten working day period to expire before making a decision but will then give you a decision within fifteen working days, beginning on the first working day after the authority received the application.
There is no right to a hearing in the case of minor variations.