10 Things to Ask Before You Select Your Licensing Consultant

Choosing a Licensing Consultant is a significant decision.  The right advisor can help you secure permissions, avoid unnecessary restrictions and operate confidently within the licensing framework. The wrong one can leave you over-conditioned, exposed to enforcement risk, or paying to fix problems that should never have arisen.

Licensing Consultancy is NOT a regulated profession, which makes asking the right questions at the outset essential.  This article sets out the key things every operator should consider before making an appointment.

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1. What is your background in Licensing?

One of the most important questions to ask is where your consultant’s expertise comes from.

Strong Licensing Consultants typically have backgrounds in:

• Local authority licensing teams
• Environmental health or regulatory services
• Police licensing units
• Planning or enforcement roles
• Long-term specialist licensing practice

Ask:

• Have you worked inside a licensing authority or enforcement body?
• Do you understand how officers and responsible authorities actually assess risk?
• How long have you worked specifically in licensing (not just “hospitality”)?

Experience matters because licensing decisions are rarely theoretical — they are practical judgements made by people with limited time and increasing scrutiny.

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2. Do you specialise in Licensing, or is it part of a broader service?

Many advisors offer “licensing” alongside planning, health & safety, or general business consultancy. There is nothing inherently wrong with this — but clarity is vital.

Ask:

• Is licensing your primary specialism, or one of many services?
• How many licensing applications do you handle each year?
• Do you regularly appear at licensing sub-committees or hearings?

Licensing is a highly procedural discipline, and familiarity with forms, guidance, local policy and decision-making culture often makes the difference between a smooth grant and months of conditions and delays.

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3. How do you approach conditions and operating schedules?

This is one of the most revealing questions you can ask.

A skilled consultant should:

• Resist unnecessary or “standard” conditions
• Understand that conditions must be appropriate, proportionate and evidence-based
• Draft operating schedules that protect your business without antagonising responsible authorities

Ask:

• How do you decide what conditions are genuinely necessary?
• Will you challenge disproportionate or irrelevant requests?
• Do you tailor operating schedules for each premises, or use templates?

Over-conditioning at application stage is one of the most common (and costly) mistakes operators make — and it is often avoidable.

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4. How early do you engage with Responsible Authorities?

Licensing is as much about relationships and timing as it is about paperwork.

Ask:

• Do you engage with Police, Environmental Health or Licensing officers before submission?
• How do you handle objections or concerns?
• At what point do you recommend negotiation versus formal determination?

A Consultant who waits for objections to arise may be missing opportunities to resolve issues quietly and commercially before they escalate.

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5. Will you advise me on compliance after grant?

Many problems arise after a licence has been granted — not because the Licence is wrong, but because it is not understood or embedded properly.

Ask:

• Do you offer post-grant compliance advice?
• Will you explain how conditions work in practice?
• Can you assist with staff training, policies or audits?

Licensing does not end when the certificate is issued.  A Consultant who sees their role as ongoing rather than transactional can add long-term value.

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6. How do you handle safeguarding and vulnerability issues?

Modern licensing increasingly focuses on safeguarding — intoxication, drug use, vulnerable persons and duty of care.

Ask:

• How do you advise on managing intoxicated or vulnerable customers?
• Do you understand safeguarding expectations under the Licensing Objectives?
• Can you help draft proportionate policies that protect both people and the business?

A Consultant who reduces everything to “eject or refuse service” may be exposing you to risk rather than managing it.

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7. When would you recommend involving a solicitor?

A good Licensing Consultant knows their limits — and will be candid about when legal representation is appropriate.

Ask:

• When would you suggest bringing in a Licensing Solicitor?
• Do you work alongside Solicitors if matters escalate?
• Have you supported cases that later proceeded to appeal or review?

A Consultant who claims never to need solicitors may lack realism.  One who works collaboratively demonstrates professionalism, not weakness.

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8. How transparent are your fees?

Licensing issues often evolve. Cost clarity is therefore essential.

Ask:

• Is your fee fixed, staged or hourly?
• What is included — and what is not?
• How do you handle unexpected developments?

The cheapest quote is rarely the best value if it does not include negotiation, hearing attendance or follow-up.

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9. Can you explain things clearly, not just technically?

Licensing is complex. Your Consultant should be able to translate regulation into plain English.

Ask yourself:

• Do I understand the advice I’ve been given?
• Are risks explained calmly and proportionately?
• Am I being supported, or intimidated into compliance?

If you feel talked at rather than advised, that is a warning sign.

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10. Do they understand my business, not just the law?

Finally, remember that Licensing exists to enable lawful trading — not to suppress it.

A good Consultant should ask about:

• Your operating model
• Your customers
• Your ambitions for growth or change
• Practical constraints

Licensing advice that ignores commercial reality often leads to Licences that look neat on paper but fail in operation.

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Conclusion: choosing partnership, not just advice

Selecting a Licensing Consultant is not about outsourcing responsibility — it is about choosing a trusted partner who will help you balance compliance, safety and commercial viability.

The right questions help you identify someone who:

• Prevents problems rather than reacting to them
• Understands both regulation and reality
• Knows when to push back — and when to compromise
• Treats your licence as a business asset, not just a document

In Licensing, as in business, asking the right questions at the beginning often saves months of difficulty later.

If you need anything to do with Alcohol Licensing, why not be like our other satisfied customers and drop us an email or give us a call on 01432 700 024?

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