Premises licence
If your premises provides alcohol or sells hot food or drink (sold between 11pm and 5am) then you need a premises licence.
Certain types of entertainment also need a licence, however there are some exemptions. Find out if you need a licence; see our list of licensable activities and exemptions (PDF).
Who can apply for a premises licence?
You can apply for a premises licence if you are:
- An individual
- A company
- A recognised club
- A charity
- Any other person allowed by law.
You must be 18 years of age or over.
How to apply for a premises licence
You can apply online for a premises licence on the .gov website.
You will need a debit or credit card to pay the fee for your application.
You can also download the premises licence application form (PDF)
Whether you apply online or by post you will need to include the following documents with your application:
- Consent of the proposed designated premises supervisor (if your premises is to sell alcohol)
- Two copies of the plans of the premises (scale of 1:100).
Once you apply for a premises licence, you will need to display a notice (PDF) clearly on the outside of the premises. You must print this notice on pale blue paper. You will also need to publish a notice in One edition of a Borough wide local newspaper. Currently the two recognised Borough wide publications are the Newham Recorder and the Newham Voices. The Newham Voices is a monthly publication so please bear this in mind when advertising, as the noticed must be published within 10 days of the application being made. Use our form (PDF) for your advertisement.
You may need to tell other interested groups (including responsible authorities) about your application. These groups include other parts of the council, the chief police officer or the fire and rescue authority.
Designated premises supervisor
Every premises which sells alcohol needs a named (designated) premises supervisor.
To name a premises supervisor, please complete the attached consent form (PDF).
The supervisor will need to hold a personal licence to sell alcohol or provide entertainment.
Once you have completed this form, please return it to us at the address below:
Licensing Team
East Ham Town Hall
Barking Road
E6 2RP
Fees for a premises licence
There is a charge for a premises licence. For information on the range of fees, go to the Licence fees page.
You must pay your annual premises licence fee on time. We will suspend your premises licence if you do not pay the fee on time. You cannot continue to trade without a licence. For more information contact us directly.
Transferring a premises licence
A premises licence can be transferred to another person or company.
You can do this online on the .Gov website.
Or download an application form (PDF), fill it in and return it to us at:
Licensing Team
East Ham Town Hall
Barking Road
E6 2RP
Changing a premises supervisor
It is important that you tell us and the Police immediately if the named premises supervisor changes.
You can do this online on the Gov.uk website (external link).
The premises licence holder must complete an application form (PDF), and the new supervisor must also agree to this change and complete a consent form (PDF).
Once you have completed this form, please return it to us at the address below:
Licensing Team
East Ham Town Hall
Barking Road
E6 2RP
Changing the terms of a premises licence
Variation of a premises licence
You can apply to change (vary) the terms of an existing licence, for example to extend opening hours or add new activities.
You may also need to submit a new plan of your premises.
Once you apply for a variation of the licence, you will need to display a notice clearly on the outside of the premises. You must print this notice on pale blue paper. You will also need to publish a notice in One edition of a Borough wide local newspaper. Currently the two recognised Borough wide publications are the Newham Recorder and the Newham Voices. The Newham Voices is a monthly publication so please bear this in mind when advertising, as the noticed must be published within 10 days of the application being made. Use our form (PDF) for your advertisement.
You can apply online on the Gov.uk website (external link) or download an application form (PDF), fill it in and return it to us at the address below.
Licensing Team
East Ham Town Hall
Barking Road
E6 2RP
If you send your application via post you will need to also send copies to the other interested parties. Please see the list of responsible authorities (Word).
The fee for a variation is the same as the fee for a new premises licence. Please see the licence fees page for further information.
Minor Variation
For small changes to a premises licence, including reducing hours and making small changes to the layout of the premises, you can apply for a Minor Variation of the licence.
To find out more about what changes are covered by a Minor Variation, please contact the licensing team.
To apply for a Minor Variation of a licence, please download the form and email it to licensing@newham.gov.uk or, send it to us at the address below.
Licensing Team
East Ham Town Hall
Barking Road
E6 2RP
There is a fee of £89 for the Minor Variation application. This can be paid by debit or credit card, or by cheque payment.
Once you have applied, you will need to display a notice clearly on the outside of the premises.
View and comment on licensing applications
You can view and comment on licensing applications online.
Licensing decisions
If one or more responsible authority, or anyone who may be affected by the application, wants to raise questions (called representations) about your application, our Licensing Committee or Licensing Sub-committee will consider these issues at a hearing.
If there are no representations about the application, we will grant it and send you a paper copy of the licence.
Appealing a licensing decision
You, or anyone who made representations, may appeal:
- Against the conditions of a licence
- If we refuse to vary or transfer a licence
- If we refuse to add an activity to a licence
- If we refuse a person as supervisor.
You need to appeal to Thames Magistrates' Court at the following address within 21 days of the notice of the decision.
Thames Magistrates' Court
58 Bow Road
London
E3 4DJ
