Statement of Licensing Policy - Licensing Act 2003 - 7 January 2026 to 6 January 2031

These example conditions are designed to provide a guide to the wording of possible conditions relating to differing situations and are solely provided as a means of guidance.

Each application will be determined on its own merits and under no circumstances is any condition in the model conditions to be regarded as a standard condition and be automatically imposed.

Licensing conditions can be added to a premises licence or club premises certificate through inclusion in the operating schedule on an application or imposed by a Licensing Sub Committee following a hearing.

The Home Office guidance is that conditions must be necessary, proportionate, and justifiable to meet the licensing objectives. They should be written in a prescriptive worded format, clearly understandable and be enforceable. Please see GOV.UK: Revised Guidance issued under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003 for further information.

When incorporated into the licence or certificate as a condition, those measures become enforceable under the law and a breach of such a condition could give rise to prosecution. To minimise problems and the necessity for hearings, it is sensible for applicants to consult with the responsible authorities when operating schedules are being prepared.

Prevention of crime and disorder

Staffing

1.     The premises licence holder shall ensure that at all times when the premises are open for any licensable activity, there are sufficient, competent staff on duty at the premises for the purpose of fulfilling the terms and conditions of the licence and for preventing crime and disorder.

2.     The licence holder and/or designated premises supervisor shall ensure that at least one personal licence holder is available on the licensed premises while the sale or supply of alcohol is being undertaken at the premises.

3.     Door supervisors shall be employed by the premises based upon a risk assessment carried out in relation to the following factors:

• size of the venue
• expected attendance
• type of event taking place
• location of the premises
• time of year
• special occasion (New Year, Halloween, local events and so on)
• premises licence conditions

4.     Any door supervisors on duty at the premises must be supplied by an SIA-Approved Contractor Scheme company.

5.     The premises licence holder shall ensure that on each day that door supervisors are engaged for duty at the premises, their details (names and licence numbers) are recorded in an appropriate book kept at the premises.

6.     The licensee and designated premises supervisor shall ensure that there are effective management arrangements in place to enable them to know how many persons there are in the premises at all times when the premises are open for a licensable activity.

Bottles and glasses

7.     No customers carrying open or sealed bottles shall be admitted to the premises at any time that the premises are open to the public.

8.     The premises licence holder shall ensure that no customers will take glasses or open bottles from the premises.

9.     Drinks sold at the premises to be consumed in the garden, yard or other outside area will be provided in plastic containers. All bottled drinks will be decanted into the plastic containers.

10. Bottle bins shall be provided at the exit doors and staff shall show due diligence in preventing bottles and glasses being taken from the premises.

CCTV

11. A CCTV system shall be designed, installed and maintained in proper working order, to the satisfaction of, and in consultation with, Northumbria Police. Such a system shall:

• be operated by properly trained staff
• be in operation at all times that the premises are being used for a licensable activity
• ensure coverage of all public entrances and exits to the premises
• ensure coverage of such other areas as may be required by the licensing authority and Northumbria Police
• provide continuous recording facilities for each camera to a good standard of clarity. Such recordings shall be retained (electronically or digitally) for a period of 31 days and shall be supplied to the Licensing Authority and Northumbria Police on request
• have a member of staff capable of operating the CCTV system and downloading images at the premises at all times that the premises are open to the public

Police initiatives

12. The premises shall support local crime prevention initiatives and clearly display crime prevention notices or give advice that supports current crime and disorder patterns.

13. No beers, lager or cider will be sold above 6.5% ABV.

14. The premises licence holder shall act upon any request from Northumbria Police to withdraw any brand or size of alcoholic drink for a period agreed by the Police and the licence holder. Such a request must be made by the Police acting reasonably and based on proper evidence that the sale of such products is detrimental to the licensing objectives. The request may only be made by an officer having the rank of Inspector or above.

Deliveries

15. Where purchases of alcohol can be made online, the website must state it is an offence to sell or supply alcohol to a person under 18 years of age and satisfactory photographic ID may be required at time of delivery.

16. No deliveries or collections relating to licensable activities at the premises will take place between the hours of [Insert: specify hours].

17. Deliveries shall only be made to the address indicated on the order.

18. Deliveries will only be made to bona fide business or commercial addresses or private residences and no or open spaces (for example car parks, street corners, bus stops or public parks)

19. Deliveries must be handed to the addressee or recipient and not left in a safe place for later.

20. Deliveries shall be refused to any person who is, or appears to be, intoxicated through alcohol or drugs, in which case the alcohol will be returned to the licensed premises.

21. The premises licence holder must instruct delivery riders and drivers not to cause a noise nuisance when making deliveries or whilst waiting outside the premises for collections.

22. Customers must be instructed when placing the order that they will not be able to collect the order from the vehicle. All deliveries will only be made directly to the property address and customers will not be permitted to take orders from the vehicle.

23. The premises licence holder shall ensure that all employees of any third party engaged in the delivery of alcohol, that is, couriers, have also been trained by their employers regarding the Challenge 25 policy. This training should also be documented.

24. The premises licence holder shall ensure that all delivery agents they contract with adopt and participate in the applicant's policies and training, as set out at conditions above, or have their own appropriate policies and training in place that mirror or do not conflict with the applicant's.

25. The premises licence holder will ensure that a sticker is applied to all consignments of alcohol stating "Note to delivery service: this package contains age restricted products. Ensure recipient is over 18" (or similar wording to the same effect).

Staff training

26. All staff authorised to sell alcohol shall be trained in (delete as appropriate):

• relevant age restrictions in respect of products
• prevent underage sales
• prevent proxy sales
• maintain the refusals log
• enter sales correctly on the tills so the prompts show as appropriate
• recognising signs of drunkenness and vulnerability
• how overservice of alcohol impacts on the four objectives of the Licensing Act 2003
• how to refuse service
• the premises' duty of care policy, understanding and dealing with situations involving vulnerable people, and incidents of harassment; and how to report issues of modern slavery and trafficking
• action to be taken in the event of an emergency, including the preservation of a crime scene and reporting an incident to the emergency services
• the conditions in force under this licence

27. Documented records of training completed shall be kept for each member of staff. Training shall be regularly refreshed and at no greater than 6 [Insert: or specify] monthly intervals. Training records shall be made available for inspection upon request by a police officer or an authorised officer.

Preventing and dealing with drunkenness and vulnerability

28. The premises shall have a documented duty of care policy for managing intoxicated and vulnerable customers and dealing with incidents of harassment at the premises. The policy shall also include provision for persons refused entry to the premises who are also considered vulnerable by staff.

29. The premises shall display prominent signage indicating at any point of sale, at the entrance to the premises, in all areas where alcohol is located that it is an offence to sell alcohol to anyone who is drunk.

30. A personal licence holder must be present at the premises to supervise all sales of alcohol.

31. There shall be no sale of alcohol spirits in vessels smaller than and including 10CL.

32. The premises shall provide facilities for customers to securely recharge their mobile phones.

33. The premises shall have a written drugs policy. This will detail the strategies to minimise the use and supply of illegal drugs within the premises. The drugs policy shall include a structured training policy for all staff covering the issues of misuse of drugs in relation to licensed premises. Records must be kept showing members of staff who have taken the training.

34. The premises shall have a written drug policy. This will entail an agreed procedure for the handling and retention of any article seized.

Dispersal

35. The dispersal of customers from the premises must be managed in accordance with the following:

• clear and legible notices must be prominently displayed at all exits requesting customers to respect local residents and leave the area quietly
• public announcements requesting customers to leave quietly to minimise disturbance to nearby residents
• a [Insert: specify minutes] period where [Insert: music volume is reduced / lighting increased / alcohol sales cease]
• a suitable member of staff or a door supervisor(s) will be visible at each public entrance or exit to control the dispersal, to remind people to leave quietly, and to prevent patrons from re-entering the premises, and shall deter customers from using private hire vehicles without a prior booking

36. All drinks and glass vessels must be removed from patrons as they leave to ensure no glass leaves the premises.

Preventing underage sales

37. The Challenge 25 scheme must be operated to ensure that any person who appears to be under the age of 25 shall provide documented proof that he or she is over 18 years of age. Proof of age shall only comprise a passport, photo card driving licence, an EU/EEA national ID card or similar document, an HM Forces warrant card, a card bearing the PASS hologram, or any electronic or biometric age verification technology approved by the licensing authority.

38. The premises shall display prominent signage indicating [Insert either: at any point of sale, at the entrance to the premises, or in all areas where alcohol is located] that the Challenge 25 scheme is in operation.

39. The premises shall display prominent signage indicating [Insert either: at any point of sale, at the entrance to the premises, or in all areas where alcohol is located] that it is an offence to buy or attempt to buy alcohol for a person who is under 18 and for a person under the age of 18 to buy or attempt to buy alcohol.

40. A refusals record must be kept at the premises which details all refusals to sell alcohol. This record must include the date and time of the incident, the name of the staff member who refused the sale, and the reason the sale was refused. All entries must be made within 24 hours of the refusal. The record must be made available for inspection and copying within of a request by an officer of a responsible authority.

41. Maintain clear visibility through windows so that staff can clearly observe if alcohol purchased by adults is provided to young people (proxy purchasing).

42. All sales tills shall prompt the cashier making a sale of alcohol to verify that the customer is aged 18 or over (EPOS system)

Incident reporting

43. Any and all of the following incidents must be noted, including pertinent details and, as appropriate, reported promptly so that investigations can be made and action taken (delete as appropriate):

• alleged crimes reported to the venue or by the venue to the police
• ejections of patrons
• complaints received
• incidents of disorder
• seizures of drugs, offensive weapons, fraudulent ID or other items
• faults in the CCTV system, searching equipment or scanning equipment
• refusal of the sale of alcohol
• visit by a responsible authority or emergency service
• the times on duty, names and the licence numbers of all licensed door supervisors employed by the premises
• suspicious behaviour by patrons or members of the public close to a venue

44. Incident logs (which may be kept electronically) must be kept at the premises for at least six months and made available on request to the police or an authorised officer of the licensing authority.

45. The premises licence holder or and nominated individual shall regularly check the incident book to ensure all staff are using it.

46. Staff are to be provided with an unobstructed view of the area immediately outside the shop and entrance.

Prevention of public nuisance

47. A register of complaints shall be kept and made available to Police and local authority officers on request.

48. The licence holder shall erect and maintain clear and prominent notices displayed at all exits requesting the public to respect the needs of residents and to leave the premises and the area quietly.

49. A designated premises supervisor or a nominated representative shall keep written records of sound checks when live music, recorded music or amplified sound is taking place. Sound checks must be made inside and outside the premises at all entrance and exit doors to the premises and to walk outside around the premises on all sides where there are residential properties. The record must contain:

• date and time
• type of event
• name of person carrying out the sound check
• location of the check
• whether the person determined if the noise was set to a level as to cause a complaint
• action taken in relation to noise levels - being increased, decreased or no action

The noise must be assessed at the start of the event and at intervals no less than every one hour until the end of the event.

50. No noise shall emanate from the premises nor vibration be transmitted through the structure of the premises that gives rise to a nuisance.

51. All external windows and doors must be kept shut at all times when regulated entertainment is being provided. Doors may be opened for normal entrance and egress of people but must be shut immediately thereafter.

52. A noise limiting device shall be installed, fitted, and maintained as to control all sources of amplified music or speech at the premises to prevent noise nuisance to neighbouring properties. The noise limiter shall be set to maintain a maximum level which is agreed in writing with Environmental Health and amended as and when required to deal with any reported nuisance or complaint.

Light

53. In the absence of adequate daylight, any artificial lighting provided by the premises in any area accessible to the public shall be angled as to not cause a glare into any other premises or residential properties.

Litter and bottle disposal

54. Where the premises provide late-night refreshments for consumption off the premises, sufficient waste bins must be provided at or near the exits, to enable the disposal of waste.

55. Between the hours of [Insert: specify hours] no waste or glass bottles will be moved or deposited outside.

56. There shall be provided at sufficient regular intervals throughout the premises and grounds, litter bins which shall be emptied and waste removed on a frequent basis, and staff and attendants shall as far as reasonably practicable ensure that the public, members and guests do not litter.

Late night refreshment

57. Any hot food or hot drink provided after 11pm (late-night refreshment) under this licence must only be consumed on the premises.

Public safety

58. There shall be first aid equipment and materials available at the premises whilst the premises are trading.

59. Temporary electrical wiring and distribution systems shall not be provided without notification in writing being given to the council Environmental Health at least 10 days before the commencement of the work. The notification must explain the reasons for the temporary electrical measures and a date of the proposed removal of temporary electrical measures.

Special effects

60. Any special effects or mechanical installations shall be arranged and stored so as to minimise any risk to the safety of those using the premises. The following special effects will only be used if 10 days' prior notice is given to the licensing authority where consent has not previously been given:

• dry ice and cryogenic fog
• smoke machines and fog generators
• pyrotechnics, including fireworks
• firearms (for example, blank-firing pistols)
• lasers
• explosives and highly flammable substances
• real flame
• strobe lighting

Large events

61. The premises licence holder must comply with the Event Management Plan submitted to and approved by Gateshead Council and no changes will be made to the Event Management Plan without the prior written consent.

Boxing and wrestling (including MMA and other combat sports)

62. The premises licence holder must comply with the Event Management Plan submitted to and approved by the Licensing Authority and no changes will be made to the Event Management Plan without the prior written consent of the Licensing Authority. The Plan must set out (but is not limited to):

• how fighters will be matched
• the measures that will be in place to ensure the safety and welfare of competitors, including medical facilities and qualified staff provision
• fighter details
• layout of the venue
• competition rules
• referee details including qualifications

Protection of children from harm

63. Children under 18 years will not be allowed access to the premises.

64. Persons under the age of 18 shall only be allowed to enter or remain on the premises prior to 21:00 hours each day, and only when accompanied by a responsible adult, and with the discretion of the designated premises supervisor.

65. The premises licence holder and designated premises supervisor shall comply with any reasonable measures required by the Licensing Authority from time to time relating to preventing the sale of alcohol to children.

66. A conspicuous notice shall be displayed on, or immediately outside, the premises, or immediately adjacent to the premises, which gives details of any restrictions relating to the admission of children to the premises.

67. Remove external alcohol advertising - for example pavement boards or posters that are visible from outside - in locations close to schools or other children-focused premises.

68. Create distance between alcohol products and products aimed at children.

69. Refuse to serve marketed 'alcohol free' drinks to under 18s, particularly those which are branded, for example Heineken 0.0, given the strong links between alcohol brand advertising and youth susceptibility to drinking.

70. Set aside 'alcohol free' spaces for families.

71. Display point of sale information highlighting CMO guidelines for children (available from Balance).

Adult entertainment

72. No entertainment or activity of an adult or sexual nature will take place within the premises.

73. No children under the age of 18 will be allowed on the premises whilst entertainment or activities of an adult or sexual nature take place within the premises.