Objecting to a licence application

Your objection must be based on one or more of the following principles:

• prevention of crime and disorder
• prevention of public nuisance
• public safety
• protection of children from harm

Gambling licence

If you are objecting to a gambling licence you must:

• live close enough to the premises so that you’re likely to be affected by the activities it wants to get licensed
• have business interests or represent someone that might be affected by the activities

Your objection must be based on one or more of the following principles:

• preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime or disorder or being used to support crime
• making sure that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way
• protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling

Special treatment licences and new marriage and civil partnership venues

You must give the reason for your licence objection. This reason must be relevant to the licence application. You do not have to live in or have a business in Southwark.

You cannot object to a new business because it might make an impact on the trade of existing businesses.

Objections will not be accepted if they are libellous, slanderous, racist or of an unacceptable nature.

For more information, read our guide to licencing representations.

There will be a closing date for objections for each licence application. This will be within 28 days starting the day after the date of the notice of application.

You can find the closing date for an application on the licence register.

Your objection must include:

• your full name, address and email (a signature is only required if you're writing to us, also include your email on the letter)
• the date you wrote the letter or email
• the application that you're opposed to
• the reasons why you're opposed to the application

Make sure your objection letter or email is submitted using the Arial font size 12.

Email your objection to licensing@southwark.gov.uk.

Objecting on behalf of a group

If you object on behalf of a group, for example, a tenants and residents association, you’ll need to send proof of the group's decision to make the objection along with your objection letter. This could be a document such as minutes from a meeting.

If you make a petition against the licence application, the petition organiser must:

• provide their own contact details
• state clearly the application that is being opposed and the reason for opposition on each page of the petition
• make sure all names and addresses are clearly readable and preferably written in black ink
• show the date the signatures are collected on each page
• include objection and petition information

Your objection will be passed on to the licensing officer dealing with the application. They will contact you to let you know if your objection is successful or not. There might be a special licensing hearing to look at your objection and decide if the licence should be granted or not.

Personal details

Licence applicants are entitled to know the address of an objector as they might want to challenge if you live in the local area where the premises are. Other personal details are not available to them.

If you don’t want your address to be given you must ask your local ward councillor or residents’ association to object for you.

Your address and personal details will be removed from any public documents used for licensing hearings.