Our legal fees
Here are our costs for applying for a new premises licence under Section 17 of the Licensing Act 2003 or for a varied premises licence under Section 34 of the Licensing Act 2003. We charge VAT at the rate of 20%.
Fees |
Amount |
20% VAT |
Total |
Fixed fee |
£600.00 to £1,000.00 |
£120.00 to £200.00 |
£720.00 to £1,200.00 |
If there are representations against your application for a new premises licence or variation of the premises licence, then there will be a hearing. We will be able to advise you on the precise costs of representation at a hearing once the nature of the representations against your application is known.
The typical costs for a hearing are:
Fees |
Amount |
20% VAT |
Total |
Fixed fee |
£750.00 to £1,500.00 |
£150.00 to £300.00 |
£900.00 to £1,800.00 |
Travel costs to a hearing would be included in our legal costs for a hearing fee (see above).
Other reasonable travel expenses, such as train tickets, petrol, parking etc, may also be charged in addition to the hearing fee. We charge mileage at £0.45 plus 20% VAT per mile.
Once we have a clearer understanding of your requirements, we will confirm the exact costs. We reserve the right to charge higher fees for non-standard work and larger-scale outdoor events.
Client onboarding fees
We are required by law to obtain satisfactory evidence of the identity of our clients and the persons connected to them. In certain circumstances, we may also require evidence to establish the source of funds paid to us during your retainer. We pass on this cost to you as a client onboarding fee. Our client onboarding fees are:
|
Fee |
20% VAT |
Total Fee (including VAT) |
Individuals |
£12.50 |
£2.50 |
£15.00 |
Other types of businesses |
£37.50 |
£7.50 |
£45.00 |
Legal entity |
£91.67 |
£18.33 |
£110.00 |
Legal entity (non-UK jurisdiction) |
£125.00 |
£25.00 |
£150.00 |
Disbursements
In addition to the professional fees associated with the application, you should bear in mind that there is also an application fee payable to the Council. This varies according to the rateable value as outlined below:
New premises licence (VAT is not applicable) |
Rateable value |
Fixed fee |
£0.00 to £4,300.00 |
£100.00 |
£4,301.00 to £33,000.00 |
£190.00 |
£33,001.00 to £87,000.00 |
£315.00 |
£87,001.00 to £125,000.00 |
£450.00 |
£125,001.00 and above |
£635.00 |
Major variation (VAT is not applicable) |
Rateable value |
Fixed fee |
£0.00 to £4,300.00 |
£100.00 |
£4,301.00 to £33,000.00 |
£190.00 |
£33,001.00 to £87,000.00 |
£315.00 |
£87,001.00 to £125,000.00 |
£450.00 |
£125,001.00 and above |
£635.00 |
Fees |
Amount |
20% VAT |
Total |
Newspaper advertisement |
£200.00 to £450.00 |
£40.00 to £90.00 |
£240.00 to £540.00 |
Enquiry agent
(occasionally, required to display a public notice) |
£100.00 to £200.000 |
£20.00 to £40.00 |
£120.00 to £240.00 |
Grand total costs for New Premises Licence or Major Variation
Total legal fees |
£720.00 to £1,200.00 |
Representation at a hearing (if applicable) |
£900.00 to £1,800.00 |
Client onboarding fees (per individual) |
£15.00 to £150.00 |
Total disbursements |
£460.00 to £1,415.00 |
Total |
£2,095.00 to £4,565.00 |
Please note: the costs outlined above are to act as a guide only. They provide a range of the likely fees, as not all disbursements will be applicable for each client matter.
Services included
- Taking instructions from you.
- Advising you on the licensing objectives and how they can be met within your premises licence application or the application for variation of the premises licence.
- Where required, we will advise you of the statutory plans regulations and how a plan should be prepared to support your application.
- We will complete and submit the application following consultation with you.
- We will arrange for service of the application on all the responsible authorities (if the application is not submitted via an online portal).
- We will make arrangements for the advertisement of the premises in the newspaper.
- We will deal with and advise on any representations received in connection with the application.
- We will provide an advertisement for display on the premises together with instructions on how it should be displayed.
- We will also advise you on the appointment of a designated premises supervisor and arrange for completion of the necessary form.
- We will check the licence upon receipt for any clerical errors and arrange for its dispatch to you.
Services not included
Our costs do not include the preparation of a plan. We can recommend an appropriate expert to prepare a licensing plan. The cost will vary on the size of the premises. Typical cost ranges from £400.00 to £600.00 plus 20% VAT of £80.00 to £120.00 totalling £480.00 to £720.00.
Factors that could make your application more expensive include:
- The premises sit within a cumulative impact area.
- Meetings are likely to be required with authorities/objectors.
- It is anticipated there will be a large number of objections e.g. from responsible authorities or local residents.
- There are likely to be difficulties in procuring a plan of the premises.
- The premises are larger and more complex in their style of operation e.g. a big hotel or nightclub or festival.
Timescales
The biggest obstacle we find to submitting an application for a new premises licence or a varied premises licence, which alters the layout of the premises, is receipt of the plan. If we have a properly drawn plan, then we can usually submit an application within two days of complete instructions. There then follows a statutory consultation period of 28 days and if there are representations that cannot be resolved, a hearing will be held before the Licensing Authority within 20 working days.
Other applications
There are many other types of applications, for example, transfers of premises licences, variations of premises licence to specify a designated premises supervisor, temporary event notices and reviews. We can provide you with a quotation for dealing with these.