If you hold a provisional premises licence issued by West Lothian Licensing Board you will need to apply to the Board to have it confirmed before you can start selling alcohol. You have four years from the date your provisional licence was granted to make the application and an application can only be made by the premises licence holder.
Please note that all the Licensing web pages are intended to guide you through the procedures associated with making an application for a licence. They are not intended to summarise relatively complex areas of the law. Anyone using these pages should obtain independent advice from their own solicitors or advice centre.
The same Mandatory condition 5A to schedule 4[34KB] attached to the Provisional Licence will apply to the full licence. These mandatory conditions apply to all premises licensed in Scotland. In addition to the mandatory conditions, local conditions can be attached which only apply to particular premises such as controlling amplified music.
The amount varies depending on rateable value of the premises and a list of fees can be found in the downloads section of this page.
Application forms which have guidance notes attached can be found in the downloads section of this webpage. You should read the guidance notes carefully before completing the application form. Details of where to submit the application along with supporting documents can be found in the guidance notes and you must submit the application along with the original provisional licence issued by the Board, the fee and the two remaining section 50 certificates, these are certificates of suitability from Building Standards and Environmental Health.
If the provisional premises licence is not available you must give a statement of the reasons for the failure to produce the original licence.
On receipt of the application form the Licensing Board will process your application and send a copy to other services within the Council, Police Scotland and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service for comment. This is to check that the premises layout plan is correct and that no major variation is required. If there are no issues with the plans the application will be determined under delegated powers.
The Licensing Team process these applications as a priority but delays may be experienced in receiving responses to the application from advisors. Applicants and their agents should ensure that their applications are lodged in sufficient time to allow this process to take place. It is therefore recommended that confirmation applications are lodged at least 14 days prior to the intended opening date of the premises.
You can contact the Licensing Board using the details provided within the contacts section of this page if there are any changes to your circumstances.
If your complaint relates to the manner in which your application was processed, then you should address it in the first instance to the Clerk to Licensing Board.
If the complaint relates to any decision taken by the Board, then you have a right of appeal to the Sheriff Principal at Scot Courts (opens new window) you may wish to seek legal advice in relation to this process.
