Community premises

Community, church or village halls that want to sell alcohol or already sell it can apply for the sale of alcohol to be made the responsibility of a management committee instead of a designated premises supervisor (DPS). 

You can also apply to replace the DPS on the premises licence (if you already have one) with the management committee. 

Community premises are, or form part of:

• a church hall, chapel hall or other similar building
• a village hall, parish hall, community hall or similar building

What you'll need to consider 

By removing the need for the premises to have a DPS, the premises licence holder (which will be the management committee) will be responsible for every sale of alcohol that takes places under the premises licence. 

You will need to consider:

• how you will make sure that alcohol is sold in accordance with the law (for example, ensuring that underage sales of alcohol do not take place)
• how the sale of alcohol is to be overseen (especially when the premises are hired out for private functions where committee members aren't attending)

You can make the hirer aware of their responsibilities in relation to the Licensing Act 2003 and the sale of alcohol through a hiring agreement. Organisations such as ACRE have resources which may help you with your application.

The Section 182 Licensing Act Guidance to the Licensing Act 2003 also provides advice on what is expected from premises asking to remove the need to have a DPS.

Before you start

You'll need to provide:

• any documents identifying the premises
• documents that show the constitution of the committee or the management structure. This needs to specify the names of key officers. Any changes to the committee should be notified to the council.
• copies of any hiring agreements
• the £23 application fee, if the premises already has a premises licence. Where no premises licence is in place, you will only need to pay the application fee for the new premises licence.

You need to send a copy of your application to Dorset Police at the following address:

Licensing Officer, Licensing Department, Poole Police Station, Wimborne Road, Poole, BH15 2BP.

Fees and payment

Payment can be made by card over the phone, or by sending a cheque. The 28 day representation period starts once payment is received. 

After you've made an application

There is a 28 day period during which the licensing authority and the police can make representations about a new premises licence application. If no representations are received within this 28 day period, the application is granted and the mandatory condition about the DPS is removed.

Objections and application reviews

If the police believe that removing the need to have a DPS at the premises would harm the crime and disorder licensing objective they can object to the application. If this happens it may be necessary to arrange a hearing so the licensing sub-committee can decide whether to grant the application.

Should problems start to happen at the premises, following the removal of the DPS, any responsible authority or person can submit a review application asking for the mandatory condition regarding the DPS to be put back on the premises licence.