Following the announcement of the date of the SAD, our legal team reminds licensees to get their conversion applications in as soon as possible.
By David Clifton of thePublican.com's team of legal experts at London solicitors Joelson Wilson.
As you will all be aware by now, the government has finally announced the second appointed day under the Licensing Act 2003, aptly abbreviated to SAD, writes David Clifton.
That day will be Thursday November 24, 2005, which I note from my diary is Thanksgiving Day holiday in the US. Many of you may feel that SAD will not provide you with much to give thanks for!
Surprisingly, I know from enquiries being made to my firm that there are still some people who think that they will have until 24 November to seek conversion of their existing licences to a new premises licence with all of their "grandfather rights" safely secured. Not so!
All licensed premises have only until August 6 to convert or vary their existing licence. Licensees that apply after August 6 will lose their grandfather rights - the rights they already have, such as their existing opening hours.
They will have to apply for an entirely new licence with the risk that it may be refused or granted on more onerous terms, for example with more restricted hours or capacity or subject to potentially costly conditions, such as a requirement to employ doorstaff each night.
So if you still have to submit your conversion application, don't delay any longer.