At East Budleigh Community Shop we have sold alcohol since opening. However, with our manager changing (he was the license holder) we are having problems applying for a new licensee and wondered if anyone else has come across similar issues. Whilst a member of the management committe gets qualified for holding a license, our local publican has agreed to act as premises supervisor temporarily. However we are being told by the police that she can only authorise 2 people to sell alcohol under her authority in her absence - has any other shop come across this before? Obviously, being run by volunteers, any of our 22 workers can sell alcohol at the moment.
I was interested to see that some of you have a "satellite" service from your local pub - how does this work in terms of them not being "in the shop" to supervise? This is something I've not come across before and it's never been suggested by the council licensing people who I've been taking advice from.
Any help or guidance will be gratefully received!
Thanks.
Melanie Ferrers
East Budleigh Community Shop
My guess is that this situation arises because there is temporarily no other personal licence holder on site at the moment and the publican acting as DPS (designated premises supervisor) probably isn't enough if they are never on the premises? My understanding was that the authority to sell alcohol could be transferred by authorisation letters and training.
We have an advice sheet on it - http://www.communityshops.coop/sites/default/files/advice/Ready_for_Trading.pdf but it may be worth pursuing with the council.
I think that, since alcohol licencing responsibility was transferred from magistrates to local councils, the councils are making up the rules as they go along.
I suggest that you challenge he council's ruling on this and ask for a copy of the statute law that allows them to make ity.
Thank you - that sounds like great advice. We have temporarily withdrawn from alcohol sales as we are in the midst of a temporary move while we build a permanant shop - but I am going to do this in preparation for the new store. Many thanks.