Guides / Opening a venue / 4 min
What a new venue has to arrange before it opens
The licences, registrations and cover a new bar, restaurant or café needs before its first day, and where suppliers come into each one.
Published
A new venue has a list of things it must have in place before it trades. Each is a legal requirement, and most are bought from, or set up with, somebody. This is that list for England and Wales, except where it says England.
| Requirement | The rule |
|---|---|
| Premises licence | To sell alcohol, put on regulated entertainment, or serve hot food or drink between 11pm and 5am |
| Designated premises supervisor | Premises licensed to sell alcohol must have one, and they must hold a personal licence |
| Food business registration | With the local authority, at least 28 days before trading |
| Employers’ liability insurance | As soon as the business becomes an employer, for at least £5 million. The fine is £2,500 for every day without proper cover |
| Fire risk assessment | The responsible person must carry one out and review it regularly |
| Music licence | TheMusicLicence, from PPL PRS, to play live or recorded music in public |
| Commercial waste | A waste transfer note for each load that leaves the premises, and a registered waste carrier |
| Pavement licence | For tables and chairs on the pavement (England) |
| Planning permission | For a material change of use, and for works that materially change the outside of the building (England) |
Where suppliers come in
- Insurance brokers: employers’ liability cover is compulsory from the first employee.
- Waste contractors: the venue needs a registered carrier before the first bin is collected.
- Fire safety firms: the risk assessment, and the measures it calls for.
- Kitchen and refrigeration suppliers: a food business registers 28 days before it trades, so its kitchen is planned before then.
The premises licence application is usually the first of these to become public, which is why CiviFlow starts there.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Alcohol licensing
- GOV.UK: Food business registration
- GOV.UK: Employers’ liability insurance
- GOV.UK: Fire safety in the workplace
- GOV.UK: Get a licence to play live or recorded music
- GOV.UK: Dispose of business or commercial waste
- GOV.UK: Pavement licences: guidance
- GOV.UK planning practice guidance: When is permission required?