Licensees urged to check summertime opening hours

As British summertime approaches licensees have been warned to check the opening hours stipulated in their licence, as moving the clocks forward may force a premises to close earlier.

According to licensing solicitors Popplestone Allen when British summertime commences at 1am on Sunday 30 March a site that is licensed to trade until 2am will immediately have to close.

Jeremy Allen, managing partner at Poppleston Allen, urged licensees to check the terms of their license as stipulations would be required to keep the premises' opening hours unaltered by changing the clocks.

Allen said: "If you're normally licensed to trade until 2am, then on the face of it you have a problem as 1am immediately becomes 2am and you are obliged to close unless there is something in your licence which deals with this particular point.

"If you're not sure, I suggest that you check your licence. If it's not mentioned you may want to put in a rapid application to vary or alternatively use a Temporary Event Notice."

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By Christopher Walton

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