COMMENTARY ON SECTIONS General Section 29 – Application for a provisional statement where premises being built, etc.
76.Subsections (1) and (2) provide that in relation to premises which are being or are about to be constructed, extended or altered for use for licensable activities a person interested in the premises (in the case of an individual there is the requirement that the person is 18 or over) may apply to the licensing authority for a ‘provisional statement’. A provisional statement is a statement issued by the authority in accordance with section 31 (see paragraph 78 below). Subsection (4) provides that any such application may be required to be in a form prescribed by the Secretary of State and accompanied by a fee. Subsection (6) provides that the application must also be accompanied by a schedule of works, which sets out details of the premises concerned, of the licensable activities intended to be carried on there and of the planned construction or alteration works (with plans). The effect of the section is to establish a mechanism whereby those engaged in or about to engage in construction or development work at premises to be used for licensable activities, or already used for those activities, can obtain a certain degree of assurance about their potential trading conditions. By obtaining a provisional statement they can receive, at an early stage, a statement describing the likely effect of the intended licensable activities on the licensing objectives and an indication of the prospects of any future application for a premises licence.