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Apply for a club premises certificate

We can provide voluntary or social clubs with a club premises certificate.

What you can use a club premises certificate for

This allows clubs to:

  • supply alcohol by, or on behalf of the club to members of the club or on the order of members
  • sell by retail alcohol by or on behalf of the club to a guest of a member of the club for consumption on the premises
  • provide regulated entertainment (where that provision is by or on behalf of the club for members of the club, or members of the club and their guests)

In a voluntary or social club there is technically no sale by retail of alcohol except to guests. As members own part of the alcohol stock, any money passed across the bar is a purely to preserve equity between members, where one member may consume more alcohol than another.

Who can apply for a club premises certificate

To qualify for a certificate a club must meet these conditions:

  • a person may not be given membership without an interval of at least two days from their application or nomination and their membership being granted. Those becoming members without nomination or application cannot have membership privileges for at least two days between them becoming members and being admitted to the club
  • a candidate for membership should not have access to any membership privileges
  • the club must be established and conducted in good faith
  • the club must have at least 25 members
  • alcohol can only be supplied on the premises to members by the club or on behalf of the club

Relevant miners' welfare institutes can also apply for a club premises certificate.

Additional conditions in relation to the supply of alcohol must be complied with. These are:

  • that alcohol purchased for and supplied by the club is done by members of club who are over 18 years of age and are elected to do so by the members
  • that no person receives any commission, percentage or other similar payment in regard to the purchase of alcohol by the club
  • that there are no arrangements for anyone to receive a financial benefit from supplying alcohol. The club can benefit from alcohol sales and members can benefit indirectly from this through the benefits the club experiences from these sales

Registered industrial and provident societies and friendly societies will qualify if the alcohol purchased for and supplied by the club is done so under the control of the members or a committee of members.

Miners' welfare institutes

A relevant institute is one that is managed by a committee or board that consists of at least two thirds of people appointed or elevated by one or more licensed operators under the Coal Industry Act 1994 and by one or more organisations who represent coal mine employees.

The institute can be managed by the committee or board, where the board cannot be made up as detailed above but is made up of at least two thirds of members who were or are employed in or around coal mines, and also by people who were appointed by the Coal Industry Welfare Organisation or by a body who had similar functions under the Miners' Welfare Act 1952.

In any case, the premises of the institute must be held on a trust as required under the Recreational Charities Act 1958.

Costs

Fees are banded according to the rateable value of the premises. To work out the fee you need to pay, look for the rateable value of your property and that will give you the band for your licence fee.

Application fee

The application fee is a one-off payment you need to make with your application. It will be determined by the rateable value band your property is in. These fees are:

Rateable value band Application fee
A £100
B £190
C £315
D £450
E £635
Rateable value bands

If the premises are in the course of construction, they will fall into Band C. If your club premises have no rateable value then you will fall into band A.

The fee bands are:

Rateable value Band
No rateable value to £4,300 A
£4,301 to £33,000 B
£33,001 to £87,000 C
£87,001 to £125,000 D
£125,001 and above E

Pay your annual fee

An annual fee is payable to us each year on the anniversary of the date the licence was first granted.

You can pay your annual fee here:

What you need to provide with your application

You can apply for a club premises certificate for any premises which are occupied and used regularly for club purposes.

If the club is within the Sheffield boundary, you need to make an application to us providing the following:

1.  A completed club premises certificate application form (and privacy statement if applying by post)

You must complete all required fields, providing information on:

  • the activities of the club
  • the times the activities are to take place
  • other opening times
  • if alcohol supplies are for consumption on or off the premises or both
  • the steps that the club proposes to take to promote licensing objectives
  • any other information that is required

The application form must be signed on behalf of the club. A club’s agent (for example a solicitor) may sign the form on their behalf provided that they have authority to do so.

You will also need to read and sign the privacy statement.

2.   A declaration of the club premises

This tells us that your club is a ‘qualifying club’ so that you can apply for a club premises certificate.

3.   A plan of the premises

Applications should be submitted with a plan of the premises which must be in a specific format.

How to produce a premises plan

The plan shall be drawn in standard scale (1:100) unless you have agreed with us in writing beforehand to use an alternative scale.

The plan must show:

  • the extent of the boundary of the building, if relevant, and any external and internal walls of the building and, if different, the perimeter of the premises
  • the location of points of access to the premises
  • the location of escape routes from the premises (if different from other access points)
  • in a case where the premises is used for more than one existing licensable activity, the area within the premises that will be used for each activity
  • in a case where an existing licensable activity relates to the supply of alcohol, the location or locations on the premises which are used for consumption of alcohol 
  • fixed structures (including furniture) or similar objects temporarily in a fixed location (but not furniture) which may impact on the ability of individuals on the premises to use exits or escape routes without impediment
  • if there is a stage or raised area, the location and height of each stage or area relative to the floor
  • the location of steps, stairs, elevators or lifts if there are any
  • the location of any rooms containing public conveniences if there are any
  • the location and type of any fire safety and any other safety equipment
  • the location of a kitchen, if any, on the premises

The plan may include a legend through which the matters mentioned or referred to above are sufficiently illustrated by the use of symbols.

4.   A copy of your club rules

5.   Confirmation of advertisement of your application

You are required to advertise your application in two ways:

  • in a local newspaper
  • display a notice on the premises

Please submit confirmation of the newspaper submission with your application and a copy of the newspaper notice as soon as possible.

How to advertise your application

There are specific guidelines your advertisements must follow.

Advertising in a local newspaper

You should publish a notice in a local newspaper on least one day within 10 working days of submitting which your application to us.

You advertisement must contain:

  • the name of the applicant
  • the postal address of the premises. If it doesn't have one then a description of the premises that makes clear their location and size
  • a statement of the relevant licensable activities which you are proposing to carry out
  • the postal address and, where applicable, the web address where our licensing register is kept, and where and when the record of the application may be inspected
  • the date by which any interested party or responsible authority may make representations (objections)
  • explain that any representations need to be made in writing to us
  • explain that it is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with an application and what the maximum fine is for conviction of this offence

Displaying a notice on your premises

You should display a notice at the premises for a period of no less than 28 consecutive days, starting the day after your application was given to us.

Your notice must be:

  • A4 or larger than A4 
  • a pale blue colour
  • printed legibly in black ink or typed in black in a font size of 16 or larger

It must be displayed prominently at or on the premises so that it can be easily read from the outside. If the premises covers an area of more than 50 metres square, a further notice in the same form and subject to the same requirements, must be placed every fifty metres along any external perimeter of the premises that opens onto a highway or street.

6.   Confirmation that you have served your application to the responsible authorities

If you are applying online this will be done automatically.

If you have not applied online, you must provide a copy of the full application and documents to a number of responsible authorities. A list of the responsible authorities in Sheffield can be downloaded alongside any relevant application forms.

How to make an application

You can apply online.

Apply online for a new club premises certificate
Complete a declaration for a club premises certificate online
Apply by post

You can apply by post using these documents. Send the completed documents to:

The Licensing Team

Block C 

Staniforth Road Depot 

Sheffield 

S9 3HD 

What happens once you have made an application

On the day after an application is received, a 28 day consultation period begins allowing comments (representations) to be made about the application from responsible authorities and any local residents or interested parties. During this time, the responsible authorities will work with you to ensure your proposals are in line with our four licensing objectives.

If no comments are received during this period the application will be deemed granted after the last date for representations and your licence will be issued and sent to you.

If relevant representations are received within the 28 day consultation period a public hearing must be held to decide on your application. You will be notified in writing telling you when the hearing will be, who has made a representation and what that representation is. The public hearing will be held within 20 working days after the last date for representation. The hearing date may be extended if we consider it is in the public interest to do so.

This means that you will be able to act as though your application is granted if you have not heard from us by the end of the 28 day period.

How to make an appeal or a complaint

If you want to appeal a decision you should contact us in the first instance.

Any applicant, responsible authority or person making representation is able to appeal our decision to a Magistrate’s Court within 21 days of the notice of decision.

Members of the public who are experiencing problems with licensed premises should contact us for advice.

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Contact the Licensing Team

Ask us a question
0114 273 4264
Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm
Block C
Staniforth Road Depot
Sheffield
S9 3HD

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Supporting information

GOV.UK: Alcohol licensing guidance
Licensing Act 2003

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