How Licensing Change Has Worked Out
We are now well into our second year of the new licensing regime for clubs and at last people are beginning to take stock of what it has meant in terms of running the bar and providing entertainment. But there have been one or two snags and some frustration for managers over the small print of the new system. So here’s a roundup of the legal position and some things to look out for:
More paperwork
There have been complaints that the new system has resulted in a paper mountain, and this is to some extent true. The club application form to convert and vary a registration certificate into a club premises certificate was complicated and not fully understood by those who filled it in. Some council licensing officers were helpful, others less so. The result has been that some clubs have not come out of the process with better hours, and have also had conditions added which they did not want, particularly on variation.
So BICM members break down into two categories – those who have stayed as ‘registered clubs’ by opting for a club premises certificate and those who have become clubs with a premises licence, although retaining their normal membership rules, committees etc.
Contrary to a popular myth, they have not become pubs overnight! The holding of a licence simply means that you can entertain guests and visitors at will, and even the public for some events, without requiring any additional permission. If you have linked this with an extended licence — even a 24-hour one — you will have the best of both worlds. What’s more, there are no renewals, but there is an annual fee for everyone.
The different approach and understanding of the new laws by councils has been marked and a number of freshly-issued certificates which I have seen contain additional requirements which should not be there. Clubs are wary of confronting their local council, so have accepted some quite burdensome restrictions. Because variation is an expensive process, requiring a large fee and a costly newspaper advertisement, a number of clubs have accepted a ‘second best’ arrangement in order to keep life simple!
I am glad to say the BICM members have had the advantage of advance information on the legal changes, and many have made appropriate decisions as a result. The feedback I am getting is that they are happy with their new arrangements, particularly those who switched to a premises licence from the start and now have a more flexible permission than before.
