Licensing

Operating licence, personal licence, premises licence - Who needs which for what premises and by when under the Gambling Act 2005?

Why should pub companies worry about the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005?

What's the importance to owners of licensed estates of Section 27 of the Licensing Act 2003?

Will retailers in Scotland have to go back to a shop within a shop for alcohol sales?

Who will be caught out by the three strikes and out rule?

And how can the provision of a "not substantially enclosed shelter" cause headaches for leisure, gambling and hospitality industries?

The answer is in the devilish detail of licensing laws as they draw tighter the regulatory reins around gambling and betting companies, pub operators, retailers, hoteliers and the entertainment and leisure industry in general.

The remedy for prudent leisure companies is to delegate a watching brief to Bond Pearce's experts, who claim pre-eminent knowledge about how customers anywhere in the Great Britain can legally be afforded a good time.

"We know that clients want the job done, that they don't want us asking 'shall we do this or shall we do that?' They don't want us giving chapter and verse as to why we have taken a certain course of action," partner Tim Davies says.

Instead, the Bond Pearce licensing law team acts as a client's eyes and ears - and provides concise advice on any necessary course of management action.

The market is in a state of change following the passage into law of new liquor licensing and gambling regimes, Tim says.

"There's now an even greater need for good systems of administration and the ability to manage the application process and negotiate representations away.

"We advise on day-to-day estate licensing administration requirements for substantial national operators; and we act in emergency situations as well as on applications for new licences and major variations.

"A common theme running through our track record of working with the leisure industry has been our ability to warn clients of forthcoming regulatory issues so they're well placed to deal with the evolving business environment."

Bond Pearce offers more than just a licensing service for companies subject to licensing and gambling laws. Property and planning lawyers with specialist knowledge of the industry are part of the service offered.

The penalties for neglecting experts can be missed opportunities or lost revenues.

"We know of a pub that was dry for six weeks because of a legal oversight," Tim says.

"What would have cost about £500 at the most to avert ending up costing £5,000 to put right; that was on top of the loss of trade when the pub was closed"