A restaurant, pub or takeaway may need both. A licence does not override planning conditions, and planning permission does not by itself authorise alcohol sales or other licensable activities. [1][2]
What planning decides
Planning deals with matters such as the lawful use, development of the building and effects on the area. A shop becoming a qualifying Class E café may not need a change-of-use application, while a material change to a pub or hot food takeaway normally does. External extraction equipment and other alterations need their own planning check. [3][4][5]
Conditions can address the operation, including hours and mitigation. Read the decision notice and approved plans, rather than assuming that a previous permission for food use authorises the exact business now proposed. [6]
What a premises licence covers
GOV.UK identifies activities including alcohol sales, regulated entertainment and the provision of hot food or hot drinks between 11 pm and 5 am. The detailed definitions and exemptions matter: not every daytime café needs a premises licence simply because it serves food. [2]
The September 2026 statutory licensing guidance sets out the licensing objectives concerning crime and disorder, public safety, public nuisance and protection of children. The licence application and operating schedule need to describe the activities actually proposed. [1]
The licensing plan should be coordinated with the design, including the areas where licensable activities take place. A later change to the layout or operation may need a licensing check independently of any planning approval. [2][1]
Which opening hours apply?
Suppose a premises licence permits an activity later than a planning condition allows the premises to operate. The licence does not remove that planning restriction. The September 2026 guidance expressly recognises that different hours can exist under the two systems and that the business must observe the planning position as well. [1]
The reverse problem can also arise: a planning permission with longer hours does not extend the activities or times authorised by the premises licence. Put both sets of conditions into one operating schedule so staff are not relying on the wrong document. [1]
Coordinate the applications, but keep the approvals distinct
- Establish the lawful planning use and the intended operation. [7]
- Check the existing planning conditions and proposed physical alterations. [6]
- Identify which activities require licensing and whether an existing licence covers them. [2]
- Align the plans, hours and descriptions across the submissions. [1]
- Record the required approvals before the relevant activity starts. [2][6]
Outdoor seating can add another layer. A pavement licence concerns placing eligible removable furniture on relevant highway space; it does not itself authorise alcohol sales. Check the area and activities covered by the premises licence separately. [8]
The government's response to the Licensing Taskforce includes proposed reforms, but an announced simplification should not be treated as having altered the conditions of an existing permission or licence. [9]