licensing & gambling

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Licensing and Gambling

A licence from, or registration with, the Council may be needed if you are starting a new business, making significant changes to your present business or starting an unusual hobby. Licences are needed where a high level of safety and hygiene is required, or where ventures may have a large impact on the local area. This applies to businesses that are run from a permanent business address, from your home and some mobile services and shops. It is the duty of the proprietor to ensure that they have any necessary licences.

All forms and guidance notes relating to licence applications dealt with by the Environmental Health & Licensing service are available on these web pages.  Please use the list below to find details and application forms to either print and return to us or apply online.

The forms and guidance notes are online and/or in PDF format.  For help viewing PDF files please see our help with downloads page (a link to this page is also on the right hand menu of each licence application form page).

This link will enable you to view our current Statement of Licensing Policy - Licensing_Policy_A4_Booklet 2008 [280KB PDF]

Statement of Licensing Policy Review 2010

The Council, as licensing authority, is carrying out a consultation exercise as part of the three-yearly review of its Statement of Licensing Policy.

The policy reflects national legislation and guidance and demonstrates how responsible authorities will operate at a local level. The current policy expires at the end of this year and its replacement needs to take into account any changes that are necessary. These changes may be lead by governmental decisions or by lessons learned here in Brighton & Hove.

The Council would like local stakeholders, residents and members of the public as well as statutory consultees and "responsible authorities" to have their say about the proposed policy.

The current policy and the proposed revised policy can be found via the link below.

Your views will help to inform the revised policy. Consultation lasts for 12 weeks, so please respond by no later than Friday 29 August 2010.

Draft Statement of Licensing Policy 2010 (735kb)

Licensing Enforcement Policy

This link will enable you to view the policy - Licensing Enforcement Policy booklet (119kb)

The policy was agreed by Licensing Committee on 25 June 2009 .

The policy is predicated upon the Council corporate enforcement policy (agreed by Cabinet) to provide compliance with recent government guidance:

1. The Compliance Code
2. Cabinet Office Enforcement Concordat
3. Regulation of Investigatory Powers, Police & Criminal Evidence, Criminal Proceedings and Investigations provisions
4. Freedom of information, Human Rights and Data Protection provisions
5. The Code for Crown Prosecutors
6. Home Office Guidance on the use of Simple Cautions
7. Other relevant legislation such as regulatory and equalities provisions and relevant guidance or professional advice.

Mainly it should ensure enforcement action is transparent, targeted, consistent, proportionate and fair.

Licensing Act 2003

Under the Licensing Act 2003, you will now need a Premises Licence to carry out the following activities previously covered by other regimes: Cinema, Community Premises, Late Night Refreshment, Public Entertainment and Theatres.  To download an application form or to apply online go to our Licensing Act 2003 page.

Alcohol Licensing - Health Impact Assessment

This Health Impact Assesment (1.76mb) study has drawn upon interviews and workshops with people living and working in Brighton and Hove and upon a review of local data. We provide findings of the direct and indirect health effects of increasing the availability of alcohol.

2010 Sex Establishment Licensing Policy

The Policing and Crime Act came into effect on 6 April 2010. One of the effects of that Act is to enable local authorities to adopt powers in that act, including sex entertainment venues (SEVs).

The council has an existing policy for sex cinemas and sex shops and is now integrating those two regimes with the new sex entertainment venues. The draft policy can be found via the attached link.

Once adopted by Council, the first appointed date can be set. More details on this will follow in due course.

We value your views so please respond by no later than 31st August 2010

Draft Sex Establishment Licensing Policy 2010 (80kb)

Gambling Act 2005

Premises Licences now exist for gambling premises (Bingo Clubs, Casinos, Betting Shops, Tracks, Family Entertainment Centres, etc.) and further information is available on the Licensing and Gambling page.  To download application forms follow the gambling premises link below.

Licence details and application forms

• A-Boards
• acupuncture
• alcohol
• animal boarding
• births, marriages and deaths
• body piercing
• dog breeding
• door supervisors registration
• ear piercing
• electrolysis
• exotic, dangerous or wild animals
• food business registration
• firework registration
• gambling premises
• gaming machines
• hackney carriages, private hire vehicles, their drivers and operators
• house to house collection (and other collections for charity)
• HMO - Houses of Multiple Occupation
• lottery
• personal licence
• pet shop
• pool promotor
• premises licence and club premises certificate
• regulated entertainment (music, dance, theatre, cinema, etc.)
• riding establishment
• scrap metal
• semi-permanent skin-colouring
• sex establishment
• skin piercing
• skips and scaffolding
• stage hypnotism
• street collections
• street trading (including street artist, hot chestnut selling, Upper Gardner Street Market and Street Market licences)
• tables and chairs
• tattooing
• taxis
• Temporary Event Notice (TEN)
• track betting
• zoo

Others:
Watersports and Boatmen - licences for pleasure boats carrying passengers or being let for hire, or where water sport activities are being offered to persons under 18 years of age in a commercial manner should be obtained from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Please contact the Health & Safety and Licensing Team as detailed below with any queries or enquiries.

Contact the team

Call (01273) 294429
Use typetalk: 18001 01273 290000
Email: ehl.safety@brighton-hove.gov.uk  

or visit our citydirect access point:

Bartholomew Square
Brighton BN1 1JP
Street map: Bartholomew Square