Premises licence - licensed premises

To provide late-night refreshments, regulated entertainment and to sell alcohol in a premises in Rochdale borough, you need to apply for a Premises Licence.

You'll need a Premises Licence if you want to sell alcohol or serve hot food and drinks between 11pm and 5am.

You'll also need a licence if you provide the following types of entertainment:

• Showing a film
• Theatrical performance
• Live music, recorded music or facilities for making music
• Indoor sporting event, boxing or wrestling (indoor or outdoor)
• Dance or dancing facilities

You still need a licence even if the activities are for charity.

If you run a members' club, you'll need to apply for a Club Premises Certificate instead of a Premises Licence. View Club Premises Certificate

If there are machines that give cash prizes on your premises, you may have to pay Machine Games Duty. Check the rules on Machine Games Duty. 

You don't need a licence if you're showing:

• Educational or promotional films.
• Films shown as part of an exhibition in a museum or gallery.
• Incidental music, live or recorded.

You must be 18 or over to apply for a Premises Licence.

To apply for a Premises Licence you need to:

1. Download and complete the Premises License application form.
2. Get a plan of the building you are applying for.
3. Email the completed application form and building plan to the Licensing Unit using the contact information on this page.
4. Display a Public Notice.
   • It must be displayed in a visible place on the premises for at least 28 consecutive days starting the day after the application was submitted.
   • It must be displayed where it can be conveniently read and easily seen by members of the public from the exterior of the premises.
   • It must be at least A4 size.
   • It must be printed legibly in black ink or typed in a black font equal or greater than font size 16.
   • If the premises covers an area greater than 50 square metres a further, identical notice must be displayed every 50 metres around the perimeter of the premises.
5. Publish a notice in a local newspaper that circulates in the vicinity of the premises. It must be published on at least one occasion during the period 10 working days after the day the application was submitted.

We'll aim to respond to your enquiry within 5 working days of receipt of your email.

If your application is complete and valid, we'll contact you to pay the licence fee within the timeframe allowed under the legislation.

If your application is not complete or valid, we'll contact you about any outstanding requirements. Your application process will not start until we take payment.

Download the Premises Licence forms from GOV​​.UK

Find out how we use your personal information in our privacy notice. 

You'll be charged a fee that's based on the rateable value of the property. Business Rates explained

You can see these fees in the table below.

If your premises doesn't have a rateable value, it will be charged at Business Rate band A.

There are additional application and annual fees for premises that host exceptionally large scale events with over 5,000 people attending.

If there are no representations or objections, all requirements have been met and the application form is correctly completed, the licence will be granted after 28 days. 

If the application needs to be amended we will contact you, please keep a copy of all the completed forms you submit.

The newspaper notice gives the public the opportunity to make representations. If the representation is valid it may result in a Committee hearing.

To make a formal representation please use the official Interested Party Representation Form.

• Download the Interested party representation form

Please make sure your application is complete and valid before displaying your Public and Newspaper notices. If it's incorrect you may need to advertise again.

You must be a Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) or you must appoint a DPS when you apply for a licence. A DPS must have a Personal Licence to sell alcohol.

There may be other conditions added to your licence, for example having an age-checking policy if you sell alcohol.

Do I need to display the licence?

You must display the 'licence summary' at your premises where it can be easily seen.

The other pages of the licence should be kept safely at the premises. Police or council officers can ask to inspect them at any time.

Most Premises Licences have an unlimited duration but you'll have to pay an annual fee.

Please contact us using the link on this page in the first instance.

Appeals must be made to the local magistrates' court within 21 days.

• Find your local magistrates' court on GOV.UK

Can I make a change to a Premises Licence?

You can apply to make certain changes to an existing Premises Licence.

• Make a change to a Premises Licence

You can be fined up to £1,000 for failing to produce your licence on request.

If you carry out any licensable activities at your premises without a Premises Licence, you can be fined, sent to prison for up to 6 months, or both.

Contact the team