How you can take advantage of the Great British Summer

With Spring in full swing, I am sure many of you operators will be looking ahead to the summer and how to make the most of the coming months for your business.

You may want to refurbish your external areas converting them to beer gardens for customer use or apply to place tables and chairs on the public high way outside your premises.

And don’t forget there’s also a few summer sporting events to look out for this year including the Football UEFA Nations League Semi-Finals and Final, as well as the Cricket World Cup, and you may want host a themed event or stay open later than usual to allow your customers to celebrate an England victory (fingers crossed).

Whatever you’re planning, opening later for special events, or making use of external areas (including operating outside bars), start by checking you have the required permissions under your premises licence (and any required pavement licence and planning permission for use of public highway). Also if you are intending to increase use of external areas you should be mindful of the impact it could have on neighbours, and implement appropriate risk assessments, measures and noise management policies to help you mitigate against any potential nuisance and reduce the risk of enforcement action.

If you do not have the required permissions you’ll need to apply for the relevant licensing applications. And this can take time, and it’s not always a given, therefore it’s crucial to check and plan in advance to ensure you have the appropriate permissions in place.

If you require advice or assistance in reviewing the terms of your premises licence, or in submitting any required licensing applications, contact licensing solicitor, Suraj Desor, on 0115 953 8500 or email him here