The Licensing Service

The Licensing Service

Our promises and service standards

It is our intention that

• All service requests and enquiries will be acknowledged within three working days
• You will receive a full response to your service request or enquiry within ten working days
• We will determine all applications for new and varied premises licences and club premises certificates under the licensing Act 2003 in two months
• We will determine all other applications within three months

We also promise to

• Provide you with clear advice and information
• Deal with you courteously and in a polite manner
• Treat you fairly at all times
• Where we can not help you we will try to direct you to the body that can
  

Our performance

The first six months of 2005-6 saw a considerable volume of work come into the licensing service as we handled the Licensing Act 2003 transition. During this period in excess of 2000 additional applications for licenses were received by the service over and above normal workload.

Despite this increased workload the service did manage to meet many of its major targets.

• At 6 August 2005, the Licensing Act 2003 deadline for applications for conversions of existing licences, 75.2% of licensed operators had complied with the new law, our target 75%
• 100% of Personal Licence applications properly made to the council were determined within the target of three months
• 99.7% of Premises Licences/Club Premises Certificates applications properly made to the council were determined within the target of three months
• Customer satisfaction in respect of licensing surgeries run to help provide assistance with complying with the new law stood at 100%

Elsewhere, however, the volume of work did have effect

• Response to service requests within set timescales fell below our target of 95% to 89.1%. This level is expected to rise once the workloads reduce

In this same period three formal service complaints were lodged against the service

• One complaint concerning the adequacy of the service's response to a service request was found proved
• A second complaint concerning the availability of translation of the council's licensing policy received alternative service provision
• A third complaint concerning the Licensing Act 2003 consultation process was dealt with by way of further information
  

Our 2005 to 2007 business plan

If you would like to know more about the service a copy of our 2006 to 2007 Business plan is available. It details our aims and objectives and sets out how we are planning for the future. Please contact our office for a copy.

Contact us

Licensing unit
Tel: 020 7525 2000
Fax: 020 7525 3077
licensing@southwark.gov.uk
Licensing Unit
Chaplin Centre
Thurlow Street
London
SE17 2DG