Premises licence

You need to apply for a premises licence if you intend to do the following from a particular building:

  • sell alcohol
  • supply late night refreshments (i.e. hot food or drink) between the hours of 11pm and 5am - this includes mobile vans

You also need a premises licence if you provide any of the following types of regulated entertainment:

  • theatrical event
  • showing a film
  • indoor sporting event
  • recorded music
  • live music
  • dance
  • boxing or wrestling (indoor or outdoor)
  • facilities for making music
  • dancing

Applying for a premises licence

As the licensing authority, we handle premises licence applications within Newark and Sherwood.

Apply to us for a premises licence. You can refer to the Guidance Notes for Premises Licence 2023 (PDF File, 284kb) to help with this.

There’s a period of 28 days from the day we receive your application during which valid objections can be made against the application. Download the form to make an objection to a proposed premises licence (PDF File, 147kb).

Where a notice of hearing is given to an applicant, we are required under the Licensing Act 2003 (Hearings) Regulations 2005 to provide the applicant with copies of the relevant representations that have been made.  In exceptional circumstances, persons making representations to us may be reluctant to do so because of fears of intimidation or violence if their personal details, such as their name and address, are divulged to the applicant.  Where we consider that the person has a genuine and well-founded fear of intimidation and may be deterred from making a representation on this basis, we may consider alternative approaches.

The Licensing Authority will also publish the name and address of people making representations within the public documents (notice of hearing and the licensing report).

If there are no representations the licence will be granted on the 29th day. If there are any representations, the application will be sent to our our licensing committee for a decision within 20 working days after the initial representation period.

Current applications‌

Changes to a premises licence

If you’re the holder of a premises licence and wish to make changes to it, you’ll need to make an application to our licensing service.

Find out more and change your premises licence via the gov.uk website.

Typical changes requested include:

  • extending hours
  • removing, adding or amending conditions
  • altering the layout plan attached to the licence.

These changes will usually need a full variation application, unless the changes are considered minor, in which case a minor variation application may be acceptable. If the proposed changes are substantial then you may need to submit a new premises licence application. Please contact us with any queries on which application.

Review of a premises licence

Any local resident or local business can ask the licensing authority to review a premises licence (PDF File, 610kb) at any time.

A responsible authority (PDF File, 144kb) such as the police, fire service or environmental health can also ask for a review of a licence where they believe that problems are undermining one of the licensing objectives.

Local authorities must advertise the application and invite representations from responsible authorities and residents.

What happens at a review?

The licence holder will be invited to attend a hearing at our offices before the licensing sub-committee, which will consider the representations made.

The licensing authority can then:

  • modify any conditions of the licence
  • exclude a licensable activity
  • request the removal of the designated premises supervisor
  • suspend the licence for up to three months
  • revoke (remove) the licence completely

Current review applications

Newark Cue Club review notice and application (PDF File, 169kb)

Your data

We’re required to provide the applicant with copies of the relevant representations or review requests that are made, unless we believe there is a genuine and well-founded fear of intimidation or violence of personal details are disclosed. We’ll also publish the name and address of anyone making a representation within the public documents (notice of hearing and the licensing report).