Premises licence

To provide late-night refreshments, regulated entertainment and to sell alcohol in a premises in Trafford, you need a premises licence from Trafford Council.

Regulated entertainment

  • a performance of a play
  • an exhibition of a film
  • an indoor sporting event
  • a boxing or wrestling entertainment (indoors or outdoors)
  • a performance of live music
  • a performance of dance
  • any playing of recorded music

Late night refreshment

Late night refreshment is hot food and drink supplied to members of the public, for consumption on or off the premises, between the hours of 11pm and 5am.

Who can apply for a licence

Any of the following may apply for a premises licence:

  • anyone who carries on a business in the premises to which the application relates
  • a recognised club
  • a charity
  • a health service body
  • a person who is registered under the Care Standards Act 2000 in relation to an independent hospital
  • a chief police officer of a force in England and Wales
  • anyone discharging a statutory or function under Her Majesty's prerogative
  • a person from an educational institute
  • any other permitted person

Applicants must not be under 18 years of age.

Relevant regulation

Evaluation of applications

Applications must be sent to Trafford Council for premises situated in the Trafford area.

Applications must be on the prescribed form and accompanied by:

  • The appropriate fee
  • an operating schedule
  • a plan of the premises which must be clear and legible in all material respects
  • a form of consent from the premises supervisor (for applications where the sale of alcohol will be a licensable activity).

The operating schedule is part of the application form and must include details of:

  • the licensable activities
  • the times when the activities will take place
  • any other times when the premises will be open to the public
  • in the case of applicants who wish to have a limited licence, the period the licence is required for
  • information in respect of the premises supervisor
  • whether any alcohol that is to be sold is for consumption on or of the premises or both
  • the steps proposed to be taken to promote the licensing objectives
  • any other required information

Applicants will be required to advertise their application and to give notice of the application.

We must grant the application where no objections have been received. However, a hearing must be held if any objections are made in respect of the application. If a hearing is held the licence can be granted, subject to additional conditions, licensable activities can be excluded or the application can be rejected.

We will serve a notice of our decision on the applicant, any person who has made objection and the chief of police.

Applications can also be made to vary or transfer a licence; or for an interim authority notice following the death, incapacity or insolvency of a licence holder.

Advertising the application

Applications for premises licences must be advertised in one of the following local newspapers and by notice on the premises.

The notice displayed on the premises must be on blue A4 paper. Click on the following links for sample newspaper and display notices:

  • Premises/Club Notice of Application
  • Premises Notice of Variation
  • Minor Variation Notice

Costs 

There is an application fee which must be paid at the time an application is made. Full details are available on our fees and charges page.

Tacit consent

Tacit consent applies, this means that you will be able to act as though your application is granted if you have not heard from us at the end of 28 days. Where objections have been received to the application, we must determine the application within 56 days. Contact us if we notify you that objections have been made.

Where tacit consent is applicable, it will only apply for licences / registrations that are submitted electronically or the business can show proof of delivery from a post office or recognised courier.

How to apply

You can request an application pack by contacting us using the details below. Alternatively you can download the forms on the Home Office website.

Contact details

If the application is refused

Contact us in the first instance.

A failed applicant will receive notice of the refusal of an application from us and may appeal to the Magistrates' court within 21 days of receiving notice of the decision. The address of Manchester Magistrates Court is:

Manchester Magistrates, Crown Square, Manchester M60 1PR

A licence holder may also appeal against:

  • any interim steps imposed by us following a review hearing
  • any conditions attached to a licence following a hearing
  • a decision to reject a variation application
  • a decision to exclude an activity or a person as a premises supervisor

Again, appeals should be made to a Trafford Magistrates' court within 21 days of receiving notice of the decision.

Consumer complaints

We would always advise that in the event of a complaint the first contact is made to the service provider by you - preferably in the form a letter (with proof of delivery). If that has not worked, if you are located in the UK, Advice Guide will give you advice. From outside the UK contact the UK European Consumer Centre.

Objections to a premises licence

The police can apply to us for a review of the licence if they are of the opinion that the premises are associated with either serious crime or disorder or both.

The police can also give a notice to us if they believe that the transfer of a licence to another could undermine crime prevention objectives. Such a notice must be given within 14 days of receiving notification of the application.

In both cases a hearing will be held and the licence holder and other interested parties may make representations.

An interested party or responsible body may make representations in relation to a licence application or may request us to review an existing licence. In both cases we will hold a hearing to consider the representations.

An interested party or relevant authority who made relevant representations may appeal against the granting of a licence or against any condition, variation, licensable activity or premises supervisor decisions.

Appeals should be made to a Trafford Magistrates' court within 21 days of notice of the decision.

Trade associations

This authority is under a duty to protect the public funds it administers, and to this end may use the information you have provided to us for the prevention and detection of fraud. It may also share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds for these purposes. For further information on data matching to prevent and detect fraud and corruption see the Council's Level 2 National Fraud Initiative Privacy Notice. For further information you can also refer to our Privacy Notices.