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Licensing policies and registers

Find out about licensing fees and charges, licensing public notices, licensing registers, licensing policies and the list of designated wheelchair accessible vehicles.

You may make payments for applications or other fees via BACS, by post cheque payable to ‘North Lincolnshire Council’ or via our online forms where available.

Our current fees and charges are available in Licensing Budgets and Fees-2023 [PDF, 562Kb].

Please note: If a refund is requested, only the licence fee element of the payment will be considered. Please refer to the licensing charges for a breakdown of the fees. In the case of taxi drivers, the whole application fee minus the DBS fee will be considered.

Pay fees and charges by bank transfer

Payment can also be made via a BACS bank transfer to the following account:

  • Bank: Barclays Bank, 81 High Street, Scunthorpe, DN15 6LZ
  • Sort code: 20-76-30
  • Account number: 83416593

Please quote your details in the reference, followed by the surname of the applicant.

Please confirm via email to licensing@northlincs.gov.uk once the payment has been made, confirming the date of payment and full reference quoted. Failure to provide confirmation may result in delays in processing your payment.

Apply by post

If you wish to apply by post, please submit your application, supporting documents to Licensing Department, PO Box 42, Church Square House, Scunthorpe, DN15 6XQ. Any cheques must be crossed and made payable to ‘North Lincolnshire Council’.

Annual maintenance fee

You can pay your annual maintenance fee for the following here:

  • Premises Licences or Club Premises Certificates issued under the Licensing Act 2003
  • Lottery registration under the Gambling Act 2005

Each year a maintenance fee is due for premises licences or club premises certificates issued under the Licensing Act 2003 or premises licences and lotteries under the Gambling Act 2005 on the anniversary of the licence/registration.

We will send out renewal letters as a reminder of when the payment is due.

It is important to make payment as soon as possible, on or before the due date. If the annual fee is not paid when it is due we may suspend the licence or cancel the registration.

Fees for Premises Licences and Club Premises Certificates are determined by banding of the Non-Domestic Rateable Value (NDRV) of the premises. The payable fee for each band is set by the Licensing Act 2003 (Fees) Regulations 2005.

There are several policies in place to guide us when we consider licence applications.

These policies can also help applicants when considering applying for a licence.

Licensing policy (Licensing Act 2003)

The licensing policy will guide us when we consider licence applications covering:

  • Provision of regulated entertainment
  • Retail sale of alcohol
  • Performance of a play
  • Showing of a film
  • Indoor sporting events
  • Boxing or wrestling
  • Provision of refreshment between 11pm and 5am
  • Supply of alcohol by or on behalf of a club to a member or their guest

Licensing Policy[PDF, 792Kb]

Gambling policy

The statement of principles will guide us when we consider licence applications covering:

  • Adult gaming centres
  • Betting (including tracks)
  • Bingo
  • Casinos
  • Family entertainment centres
  • Gaming machine/prize gaming permits
  • Temporary use notices
  • Occasional use notices
  • Registration of small lotteries

Gambling Policy [PDF, 427Kb]

Sex establishment policy

Recent changes brought about by the Police and Crime Act 2009 now provide additional regulatory powers to local authorities in respect of sex establishments.

Previous legislation permitted the regulation of sex shops and sex cinemas but made no provision for the regulation of adult entertainment venues providing entertainment that includes lap dancing, pole dancing, striptease or other similar activities.

The change in the law means that such adult entertainment venues are now included within the classification of a Sex Establishment.

Sex Establishment Policy [PDF, 9Mb]

Street Trading, Activities and Collections Policy

The Street Trading, Activities and Collections Policy will guide us when we consider applications covering:

  • Street trading
  • Street collections
  • House to house collections
  • Highways Act 1980 (provisions of information and tables and chairs)
  • Street activities

Street Trading, Activities and Collections Policy [PDF, 10Mb]

Taxi policy

The primary legislation relating to Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing is contained in the Town Police Clauses Act 1847 and the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.

The aim of the policy is to ensure the safety and welfare of the population who live and work in North Lincolnshire, while recognising the importance of the businesses to the local economy.

Taxi Licensing Policy [PDF, 3Mb]

Testing and Inspection Standard [PDF, 971Kb]

Guidance on determining the suitability of applicants and licensees in the hackney and private hire trades – May 2018 [PDF, 778 Kb]

Local government have recently issued statutory guidelines for licensing authorities, highlighting a set of agreed minimum standards following consultation with national trade and regulatory bodies. These standards have been adopted by North Lincolnshire Council; where standards differ between the Licensing Policy and adopted guidance, the Council will apply the most stringent requirements.

Scrap metal policy

The aim of this policy is to set out how we will regulate and deal with applications for Scrap Metal Dealers issued in accordance with the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013.

This policy will guide us when we applications for both site and collectors licences.

Scrap Metal Policy [PDF, 307Kb]

Enforcement policy

The Enforcement Policy provides guidance to officers, businesses and the general public on the range of options that are available to achieve compliance with legislation enforced by North Lincolnshire Council Technical and Environment Services.

Our primary objective is to achieve regulatory compliance. We recognise that prevention is better than cure, but where it becomes necessary to take formal action against a business, or member of the public, we will do so. There is a wide range of tools available to us as an enforcement agency, with prosecution being the most serious. We will always choose an enforcement method that is relevant and proportionate to the offence or contravention. We will also take account of an individual’s or a business’s past history when making our decision.

The policy is built around a process of escalation. We will only prosecute in circumstances where a defendant had acted wilfully and where their actions are likely to cause material loss or harm to others, or where they have ignored or are likely to ignore, written warnings or formal notices, endangered, to a serious degree, the health, safety or well being of people, animals or the environment, or assaulted or obstructed an officer in the course of their duties.

 Operations Enforcement policy-2019-20 [PDF, 106Kb]

Business Compliance and Support Policy

Business Compliance and Support Policy [PDF, 468Kb]

Licensing policies for consultation

  • We are not consulting on any new or amended policies at this time.

North Lincolnshire Council has a statutory duty to produce Public Notices for current applications made under the Licensing Act 2003 for new premises licences and variations.

Also listed are notices for current applications under the Highways Act 1980 for Highways Authorisations and applications made under the Gambling Act 2005.

If you would like to contact the Licensing Division regarding the content of the notices, please email licensing@northlincs.gov.uk or by writing to Licensing Department, PO Box 42, Church Square House, Scunthorpe, DN15 6XQ.

Licensing Act 2003:

  • Grant –  The Exchange, Bigby Street, Brigg, North Lincolnshire, DN20 8EJ [PDF 115Kb]
  • Grant – Pizza Jim, 10 Princes Street, Brigg, DN20 8HG [PDF, 127Kb]

Highways Act 1980:

Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982:

Gambling Act 2005:

Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976:

Business and Planning Act 2020 – Pavement Licences:

We have a legal duty to have licensing registers available to the public. These registers detail who holds a licence. In some cases the start and expiry date is included.

In August 2014 the Government introduced regulations which require the publication of decisions by officers for non-executive functions where they are for an authorisation, licence or where it affects the rights of an individual.

The adoption of the Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations in August 2014 changed the requirements placed on local authorities in regard to reporting decisions taken under delegated authority by officers.

Prior to the new regulations, officers were required only to produce a report on decisions taken under authority delegated to them under the Authority’s Executive powers.

The requirement has now been extended all decisions, whether made by an officer or on behalf of another committee/sub-committee or joint committee, in which the council participates. This applies where the decision has been delegated to an officer, either under a specific delegation or under a general authorisation.

A summary of all decisions made by officers for licences, registrations, permits and consents issued are detailed in ‘List of Determined Licences’.

Licensing Act 2003 registers:

Taxi registers:

Cooling towers register:

Cooling Towers [XLSX, 29Kb]

Scrap metal register:

The Scrap Metal Dealers’ Act 2013 requires the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales to maintain a public register of scrap metal dealer licenses in England and Wales. Visit the Environment Agency website to view the electronic public registers of Scrap Metal Dealers, Waste Carrier Licences and Environmental Permits.

Gambling Act 2005 register:

Animal welfare register:

List of determined licenses:

The Equality Act 2010 protects users of licensed vehicles who may have reduced mobility. Vehicles may be designated as part of the Equality Act that are deemed to be wheelchair-accessible for the purposes of section 165 of the Equality Act 2010.

The list of vehicles designated by North Lincolnshire Council may be found here: Section 167 Designated Vehicles [XLS, 16Kb]

Drivers of these vehicles are subject to certain duties. They must:

  • carry the passenger while in the wheelchair
  • if the passenger chooses to sit in a passenger seat, to carry the wheelchair
  • if the passenger has with them any mobility aids, to carry the mobility aids
  • to take such steps as are necessary to ensure that the passenger is carried in safety and reasonable comfort
  • to give the passenger such mobility assistance as is reasonably required
  • and not to make, or propose to make, any additional charge for complying with any of the above.

‘Mobility aids’ means any item the passenger uses to assist with their mobility but does not include a wheelchair, or an assistance dog. There are other provisions relating to the carriage of assistance dogs, and drivers or operators must not refuse a passenger with an assistance dog, unless a driver has a medical exemption certificate.

Mobility Assistance

‘Mobility assistance’ means assistance –

  • to enable the passenger to get into or out of the vehicle
  • if the passenger wishes to remain in the wheelchair, to enable the passenger to get into and out of the vehicle while in the wheelchair
  • to load the passenger’s luggage or mobility aids into or out of the vehicle
  • if the passenger does not wish to remain in the wheelchair, to load the wheelchair into or out of the vehicle.

If a driver is unable to provide mobility assistance due to medical reasons or where a physical condition makes it unreasonable difficult to provide such assistance, they must notify Licensing by completing a Mobility Assistance Exemption Form  [PDF, 151Kb] in consultation with their specialist doctor. Unless an exemption is granted, they must provide mobility assistance where required.

licensing@northlincs.gov.uk

Licensing Department
PO Box 42
Church Square House
Scunthorpe
DN15 6XQ