What kind of businesses need an approved Premises Licence Floor Plan?

If you're opening a new business which will sell alcohol or your current establishment has undergone changes, you'll need a premises licence floor plan. These to-scale drawings are an essential accompaniment to your licence application, necessary for local and responsible authorities for clarity, compliance, and safety. If you're unsure if your business requires a plan, we're here to help. In this post, we'll go through when and why a premises licence floor plan is needed.

What is a premises licence floor plan?

A premises licence floor plan, also known as a licensing act floor plan, is an accurate map of a premises that sells alcohol, hosts live entertainment, or serves food and drink between 11pm and 5am. This to-scale drawing highlights the spaces in which the abovementioned activities take place, e.g. a bar area or stage. For a more in-depth explanation of these plans, we recommend reading through our helpful introduction to premises licence floor plans post.

What is a premises licence?

A premises licence is a type of permanent permit issued to businesses that allows them to legally sell alcohol, host live entertainment, and /or serve food and drink late at night. This licence is a legal requirement under the Licensing Act 2003, and to disobey it is a criminal offence. If you do not have an official premises licence and an approved premises licence floor plan, you can be fined up to £20,000, imprisoned for up to 6 months, or a combination of both.

What businesses need a premises licence floor plan?

As mentioned, a business will require a premises licence floor plan if it plans to sell alcohol, provide live entertainment, and/ or serve food and drink between 11pm and 5am. This includes a wide range of property and business types, including but not limited to:

• Off-licences and retailers selling alcohol

• Pubs of any size and beer gardens

• Bars

• Nightclubs

• Cafes

• Restaurants

• Hotels and hostels

• Theatres

• Cinemas

• Wedding venues

• Entertainment venues

• Sporting venues

• Conference venues

  
  

All of these business and property types will require a thorough, scaled floor plan for their premises licence application.

Why does a premises licence application require a floor plan?

A floor plan is a necessary element of a premises licence application as it helps local authorities and public services understand how the business will operate within the space. A clear and to-scale drawing of the property provides what officials need to better assess the risks a business and its property may pose, as well as proving how you're complying with regulations and safety standards.

Not only does the plan need to outline areas where licensable activities take place, but it must also show safety features such as fire prevention methods and escape routes. Premises that sell and serve alcohol face higher risks than others, so it is crucial that these businesses are able to prove they're equipped to deal with emergency situations, which an accurate and comprehensive floor plan helps them to do.

Expert premises licence floor plans by Lease Planners

If you're in need of a premises licence floor plan to accompany your permit application, don't hesitate to reach out. With over a decade of experience in comprehensive floor plan creation, you can trust our expert team to produce the plan you need with complete accuracy. We pride ourselves on our efficiency, and are able to draw up plans in what past clients have called a lightning-fast turnaround, while still ensuring total precision. Our customer service is second-to-none, and we aim to always price our services competitively.

We believe in transparency and honesty, so get in touch today on 020 3637 0150 or 01473 487 234 to talk through what we can offer you.