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How much should I expect to pay for licensing?

Price information for businesses in relation to applying for a new premises licence or to vary a premises licence to allow those premises to be used for one or more licensable activities (Applications for a premises licence under Section 17 of the Licensing Act 2003 and Applications to vary a premises licence under Section 34 of the Licensing Act 2003).

Our fixed fee costs for applications for a new premises licence and to vary an existing licence are set out below. These are exclusive of VAT and disbursements:

• Simple application: £1,700 (based on 10 hours at an hourly rate of £170)
• Medium complexity: £5,000 (based on 20 hours at an hourly rate of £250)
• High complexity: £10,000 (based on 40 hours at an hourly rate of £250)
• Vary existing licence: £1,700 (based on 8 hours at an hourly rate of £170)

Factors which determine whether an application for a premises licence is likely to be a simple application or one of medium or high complexity include whether there is a cumulative impact policy in place, the type and size of the premises, or whether it is in a residential area. High complexity may include large scale public events.
Additional costs are payable for submitting and advertising the application.

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as the application fee. We will pay the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

• Application fee (payable to licensing authority) £*see below
• Advertising fee, £250-£750*
• Enquiry agent fees to display public notices, £150
• Special delivery fee to serve the application, £10
• Printing additional copies of plans if necessary, £50

*These fees vary depending on the individual premises and where it is located. We have reproduced below the fees payable to Liverpool City Council as a guide. The fees can on occasion be higher than the ranges given above. We will give you an accurate figure for each item as soon as we are able to do so. The fee is based on the non-domestic rateable value (NDRV) of the premises (not the business rates which you pay). The NDRV, rather than your business rates bill, will determine the fee level to be paid with the licence application and the annual fee thereafter so it is important that this information is correct. The NDRV of any premises can be checked on the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) website www.2010.voa.gov.uk. Premises that do not have a non-domestic rateable value are treated as falling into Band A for licensing fee purposes.

Application fee for new licence

As stated above the application fee is based on the non-domestic rateable value (NDRV). It is this figure that must be used. The table below gives those rates and the corresponding application fee. The multiplier only applies to premises used exclusively or primarily for the sale of alcohol.

How long will my application take?

Matters usually take 4-8 weeks from receipt of full instructions from you. This is based on the application being relatively straightforward and you being able to provide all the necessary documents promptly. If your matter is more complex, for example, if there is substantial opposition from interested parties, or if there is a delay in receiving the documents we need, it may take longer.