The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has no plans to reduce the time period during which a premises licence application under the Licensing Act 2003 can be considered by interested parties and responsible authorities. Those with a legitimate interest, such as local residents and the police, need sufficient time to consider applications and make representations.
However, the Department is currently developing proposals to enable fully electronic applications which will have the potential to significantly reduce the cost and time associated with completing and submitting an application form. In the longer term, we are also committed to reviewing the forms themselves to see whether they can be simplified and shortened.