Premises Licence Pricing

Information on prices and services as required by Rule 1 of the SRA Transparency Rules

In December 2018 the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) published their new Transparency Rules, with the aim of making sure that consumers have the information they need to make an informed choice of legal service provider, including understanding what the costs may be. The rules require all regulated law firms to publish information on the prices they charge in relation to certain services, including applications for Premises Licences.

The services and pricing information which Swinburne Maddison is required to provide under these new rules are set out below.

If you have any questions in relation to the information provided on this page, please do not hesitate to contact us on 0191 384 2441.

Applications to vary an existing premises licence

Pricing

Our pricing for making an application to vary an existing premises licence is as follows:

Simple complexity application: £450 to £1,000 (excluding VAT)
Medium complexity application case: £1,000 to £3,000 (excluding VAT)
High complexity application case: £3,000 to £5,000 (excluding VAT)

A simple application is an application to vary the Designated Premises Supervisor (“DPS”) where the incoming DPS has an existing personal licence.

Factors that could make an application more complex:

The application is to vary days or timings (including seasonal variations)
The application is to vary days/times to non-standard timing changes to licensable activities
Objections are received form either the public, the police or the licensing authority itself
Attendance at a licensing hearing is required
Whether the premises is situated in a residential area
The size and capacity of the premises
The nature of the current licensable activities and whether the changes proposed involve additional licensable activities and whether these are likely to be controversial The premises in question is a golf club

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

Application fees are payable to the relevant licensing authority immediately upon making an application for a new premises licence or when making an application to vary a premises licence.

Fees payable to the licensing authority when making a simple application to vary the designated premises supervisor (DPS) are £23.

Key stages

The fees set out above cover all of the work in relation to the following key stages of an application:

Taking your initial instructions, reviewing the papers and obtaining required information
Advising on how to promote licensing objections (save in respect of a simple application to vary a DPS)
Advising on types of plans needed (save in respect of a simple application to vary a DPS)
Preparing and submitting the application form
Disclosing the application to the responsible authorities
Making necessary arrangements for advertising the application

The fees set out above also include the following however in these circumstances it may take fees into a higher fee band than originally envisaged:

Advising on any objections received to the application
Attendance at a licensing hearing

The stages set out above are an indication and if some of the stages above are not required, the fee may be reduced. You may wish to handle the application yourself and only have our advice in relation to some of the stages. This can also be arranged on your individual needs.

How long will my matter take?

The time that it takes from taking your initial instructions to the final resolution of your matter depends largely on the nature of the application being made and whether or not any objections are received. A simple application for a variation to a DPS would usually take around 2 to 3 weeks to complete, although the licensing authority itself may take longer to actually issue the varied premises licence itself. This is just an estimate and we will of course be able to give you a more accurate timescale once we have more information and as the matter progresses.

Applications to make an application for a new premises licence

Pricing

Our pricing for making an application for a new premises licence is as follows:

Simple complexity application: £450 to £1,000 (excluding VAT)
Medium complexity application case: £1,000 to £3,000 (excluding VAT)
High complexity application case: £3,000 to £5,000 (excluding VAT)

Factors that could make a case more complex:

Objections are received form either the public, the police or the licensing authority itself
Attendance is required at a licensing hearing
The size and capacity of the premises
Whether the premises is situated in a residential area
The nature of the proposed licensable activities and whether these are likely to be controversial
The premises in question is a golf club

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

Application fees are payable to the relevant licensing authority immediately upon making an application for a new premises licence or when making an application for a premises licence. These fees are based upon the rateable value of the premises and range from £100 to £1,905 depending upon the fee band of the venue concerned.

Fees will be payable for advertising at the premises and in local newspapers and are likely to be between £200 and £500.

Key stages

The fees set out above cover all of the work in relation to the following key stages of an application:

Taking your initial instructions, reviewing the papers and obtaining required information
Advising on how to promote licensing objections
Advising on types of plans needed
Preparing and submitting the application form
Disclosing the application to the responsible authorities
Making necessary arrangements for advertising the application

The fees set out above also include the following however in these circumstances it may take fees into a higher fee band than originally envisaged:

Advising on any objections received to the application
Attendance at a licensing hearing

How long will my matter take?

The length of time it is likely to take for a decision to be made will vary depending upon whether there are objections and/or hearings, however, if there are no objections your licence should be granted 4 weeks after submission of the application. The licensing authority itself may take longer to actually issue the premises licence once this has been granted. These timescales are just an estimate however we will be able to give you a more accurate timescale once we have more information and as the matter progresses.