How licensing works
Licences and permits are legal documents, which allow the licence holder to carry out the permitted activity of the licence once granted.
Why there are fees
The local authority you apply to produces any licences or permits. There are no costs to the residents of that local authority.
Where licence or permit fees are locally set, we do this on a cost recovery basis. The fees are:
- approved by our councillors and
- where legally required, we will advertise any consultation on a change to the fees for 28 days in the local newspapers.
Costs include:
- officers time
- legal compliance
- materials and equipment to produce and maintain the licence or permit.
An application is only valid when submitted with the relevant fee. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make sure they provide all the relevant documents at the time of application.
Each licence has its own process and procedure, so check our website for the required documentation. We aim to process valid applications in 10 working days and will by default post the licence to your nominated address.
Expiry of licences and permits
Once granted most licences and permits last for a specific time, and the expiry date is clearly printed on the licence or permit. If you continue the activity after expiry or fail to pay an annual fee, we will suspend your licence or permit. And we may take legal proceedings against you.
Most licensing and permit fees are non-refundable as the local authority would have already incurred the administrative cost associated with the application.
Which local authority to apply to
You need to apply for licences and permits at the local authority you live in unless you intend to hold an event. You need to apply to the local authority the event premises is under. For example, if you intend to hold an event within the borough of Slough you will need ot apply through us, Slough Borough Council. Please use the Government’s local authority finder to check which authority you need to apply to for your licence. If we are not your local authority and you apply to us and submit a payment, this will not be refunded.
You can apply for most licences through our online forms. If a form is not available, please email licensing@slough.gov.uk for the relevant application form.
Please note we do check all your emails, however due to the volume we receive, we may not instantly respond. If you need to renew your licence, allow a minimum of 10 working days before the expiry to make sure you get your licence issued in time. If you apply later than the advised time, we will aim to prioritise your licence, but cannot guarantee it.
The licensing team will keep within all legal time periods.