The biggest shake-up in licensing law since the introduction of permitted hours in the First World War came into effect on 24th November 2005 when the Licensing Act 2003 was implemented.

The Licensing Act 2003 introduced significant changes to the licensing laws in England and Wales, regulating the retail sale of alcohol, the supply of alcohol in a club, the provision of regulated entertainment and the provision of late night refreshment.

Role of the Licensing Authority
The issuing/granting of licences for all licensable activities (as below) is the responsibility of South Hams District Council acting as the Licensing Authority.

Licensable Activities

The sale by retail of alcohol The supply of alcohol by or on behalf of a club to, or to the order of, a member of the club The provision of regulated entertainment The protection of late night refreshment

The Licensing Objectives
The purpose of the legislation is to provide a clear focus on the promotion of four objectives which must now form the central purpose when the licensing functions are carried out. They are:

The prevention of crime and disorder Public safety The prevention of public nuisance The protection of children from harm

Through the legislation it is hoped that local people and visitors to this country will have better opportunities to enjoy their leisure time safely and without fear of violence, intimidation or disorder while on, or arriving at or leaving licensed premises. In addition, the Government have given their protection of local residents whose lives can be blighted by disturbance and anti-social behaviour. It is also intended to provide a much greater scope for the further development within the communities of our rich culture of live music, dancing and theatre both in rural areas and in towns and cities.

Temporary Event Notices
To hold a small, one-off event involving the sale of alcohol, regulated entertainment or late night refreshment, you will need to give a temporary event notice to ourselves and the police. For more information, please click on the link on the left. The application form is also available to download at the bottom of this page.

Changes to Police Licensing contact details
The Police Licensing Department has moved from Totnes! Please be aware that any application forms for their attention (eg Temporary Event Notices) must now be sent to Police Headquarters in Exeter. See contact details below:

Licensing Department (East)
Devon & Cornwall Police HQ
Middlemoor
EXETER
EX2 7HQ
Tel: 01392 452225
Fax: 01392 452447
Email: licensingeast@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk

Street Parties and Fetes
If you are planning to hold a street party or a fete in your local community, not involving any of the above licensable activities, you will not require a licence. However, you may need to consult with Devon County Council and the emergency services if there are to be road closures. You may also need to consider insurance and the completion of a risk assessment, depending upon the nature of your event.

For more information, please click on the link below.
Guide to organising a street party or fete

More advice is available on the following websites:
www.streetparty.org.uk
www.thebiglunch.com

Licensing Policy
Between the 6th September 2004 and the 1st November 2004 the Council consulted widely with licensees, residents and other key stakeholders who gave their views on a licensing policy for the South Hams. These views were taken into consideration and the first licensing policy was agreed by full Council on 16th December 2004 in light of these views. The Policy was then reviewed in 2007 and again in 2010 following the same procedure and the current Policy was approved by Council on 16th December 2010.

View the Licensing Policy

Licensing newsletter - April 2011
Licensing newsletter - December 2010
Licensing newsletter - August 2010

Application forms to download
More forms can be found by clicking on the relevant link on the left hand side (see above).

Personal Licence application

Personal Licence application form  (Please ensure the declaration below is submitted with your application for a personal licence).

Personal Licence declaration

Personal Licence - change of address form

Transfer of Premises Licence application

Transfer of premises licence application form

Consent of premises licence holder to transfer

Change of Premises Supervisor application

Change of DPS application form

Consent to be DPS

Temporary Event Notice

Temporary Event Notice  Note: To complete this form using your computer you are advised to have Adobe Acrobat Reader version 8 or above installed in order to save the form and access the help notes.  Acrobat Reader can be downloaded free of charge from the Adobe website.

Notification of intent to provide gaming machines (alcohol licensed premises only)

Gaming Machines permit application form

Licence application forms can also be downloaded from the department of culture, media and sport website

Contact Number: 01803 861234 Email: licensing@southhams.gov.uk

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