Under the Licensing Act 2003, a licence is needed by anyone operating premises or organising events that include:
- the sale of alcohol
- the provision of regulated entertainment
- the selling of hot food between 11pm and 5am.
You can view the current premises licence register using our online licence register.
Statement of licensing policy
Our statement of licensing policy [PDF, 0.3MB] sets out how we administer our duties under the Act. The current policy came into force in March 2021. Please read this policy if you are making an application.
Objectives
The licensing authority has a duty under the Licensing Act 2003 to carry out its licensing functions by promoting the four licensing objectives, which are:
- the prevention of crime and disorder
- public safety
- the prevention of public nuisance
- the protection of children from harm.
Each objective is of equal importance. These four objectives must be addressed in every case as they apply to the consideration of all licensing matters.
Cumulative impact assessment
We have published a Cumulative Impact Assessment [PDF, 3MB] in relation to the following areas of the city:
- The city centre – marked on the map in appendix 1 of the assessment.
- The leisure park – marked on the map in appendix 2. This area also includes both sides of Cherry Hinton Road between Hills Road and Clifton Road.
- The area of Chesterton Road, Milton Road and Mitcham’s Corner – marked on the map in appendix 3. The area runs along Chesterton Road from Croft Holme Lane to Ferry Path; along Victoria Avenue from the River Cam to Chesterton Road; and along Milton Road, around Mitcham’s Corner and up to Springfield Terrace.
- The entire length of Mill Road, excluding Brookfields.
- Both sides of the section of Hills Road running from the city to Purbeck Road.
Please read this assessment if you are making an application that falls within an area covered by it.
Guidance
You can apply to us for a personal licence if you live within the city boundary. If you work in the city but live outside the boundary then you must apply to your local council.
Other guidance
When reading this guidance, you may need to refer to:
- the Licensing Act 2003 and explanatory notes www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk
- government guidance (and application forms) www.culture.gov.uk
- our other council policies, plans and strategies
- Government guidance on banning the sale of alcohol below the cost of duty plus VAT (from April 2014)
Advice
You may wish to seek independent legal advice. It is the responsibility of the applicant to make sure that any application is correctly and fully completed.
Any applications incorrectly made may result in the application being returned by the licensing authority, unprocessed.
Any pre-application/pre-decision discussions should be addressed to officers of the licensing authority in the first instance.
Applicants should not approach licensing sub-committee members to engage them in pre-application/pre-decision discussions. Any pre-application/pre-decision discussions do not bind the licensing authority to any particular decision.
For premises in cumulative impact zones, we encourage you to seek pre-application advice from the police licensing officer and our environmental health team before applying. This will help to limit the chance of problems encountered during the representation period.
If you need pre-application advice, contact us at licensing@cambridge.gov.uk or the police at cambridgecitylicensing@cambs.pnn.police.uk.
BIIAB-accredited Licensing training
We are accredited with the British Innkeeping Institute Awarding Body (BIIAB). We can award the Level 1 Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing and the Level 2 Award in Personal Licence Holders. On a recent inspection we were awarded with an 'outstanding' grade.
We offer our BIIAB-accredited training at extremely competitive rates and our courses are taught by experienced and qualified licensing officers.
Level 1 Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR)
Licensees need to be able to demonstrate that their employees have been adequately trained. The Level 1 Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing enables candidates to:
- Understand the main points of licensing law
- Recognise the responsibilities associated with the retail of alcohol
- Understand their duties concerning under-age sales and serving persons who are drunk
- Support the Designated Premises Supervisor to retail alcohol responsibly
Visit our Level 1 Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) page for further details and to book a place on one of our courses.
Level 2 Award in Personal Licence Holders (APLH)
The BIIAB Level 2 Award in Personal Licence Holders is the market-leading qualification for obtaining a Personal Licence for the retail sale of alcohol.
Licensing law in England and Wales states that anyone who sells or authorises the sale of alcohol to the public must hold a Personal Licence. Every Premises Licence that provides for the retail sale of alcohol must have a Designated Premises Supervisor attached to the licence. The supervisor must also hold a Personal Licence.
Visit our Level 2 Award in Personal Licence Holders page for further details and to book a place on one of our courses.
