Liquor Licensing in Northern Ireland
The Licensing (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 sets out the Licensing Period as being “a period of 5 years beginning on 1st October 1997 or any quinquennial of that date”.
Many businesses may find that an application for renewal of their licence is sufficiently straight-forward to be undertaken as an administration task, with the application served upon, and to be decided by, the clerk of petty sessions. However, there are exceptions to the instances in which the clerk can renew a licence, and in these cases they must require the application to be made to the court.
Such exceptions are well set out in the Licensing Order and include, amongst others, those instances where the premises have been altered since the licence was granted or last renewed.
Relevant alterations include those which increase, change, or indeed conceal, the areas in which alcohol is served or consumed, or which affect circulation areas. At renewal such changes can cause major issues and can invalidate an existing licence. If you're in a renewal year (2022, 2027, 2032, etc) you need to establish the most efficient way through the renewal process, whether this is a Consent to Alterations application or a new grant application.
If you’re in any doubt about whether you need your Licence or plans amended or updated before the next quinquennial, discuss this with your solicitor as a matter of urgency.
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