Licensing

Medway Council's Licensing Unit issues several types of licences and permits

Applicants who want to know the licensing procedures and regulations can find the main types of licences and permits issued by the Licensing Unit below.

• Licensed premises
  Licensing Act 2003 (Temporary Event Notice, Premises Licence, Club Premises Certificate, Personal Licence and including all other types of applications under this legislation).
• Charity collections
• Motor salvage
• Lotteries
• Taxis
  Hackney Carriage Drivers Licences and Vehicle Licences, Private Hire Drivers Licences and Vehicle Licences, Operator Licences.
• Street trading
• Gambling
  Gambling Act 2005 (Premises Licences, Permits, gaming machines in licensed premises and club premises and including all other types of applications under this legislation);
• Pleasure boats

Complaints, objections or lost property left in a taxi

If you wish to make a complaint about a premises, company or individual licensed by Medway Council or you wish to raise an objection to an application, please contact the Licensing Unit for advice using the details at the foot of the page.

• Licensed premises complaint
• Raising an objection to a licensing application
• Taxi complaint
• Lost property left in a taxi

Licensing payments

The Licensing Unit can take the following payments:

• Debit and credit cards
  The Licensing Unit can process your payment instantly. When payments are accepted, it can issue you with a receipt. Please have your payment card ready for a member of the unit to enter on the computer system. They will ensure that your card details and personal information remain secure and confidential when using the system.
• Cheques
  The Licensing Unit can take cheques but must then forward them to the council's cashiers for processing. Once this is done, a receipt is sent to the unit which it then sends on to you. This can take some time, so please be patient. In some cases the unit is unable to complete the processing of your application until the payment is confirmed.

Please do not leave your payment details on voicemail.

Telephone enquiries

These can be taken at the following times:

• Monday-Thursday: 8.30am-12noon and 2-5pm;
• Friday: 8.30am-12noon and 2-4.45pm;
• Between 12noon-2pm you may leave a voicemail message for a member of staff. This is to allow for the Licensing Unit to catch up on administrative duties, such as issuing licences, permits and plates without interruption.

Please note

There are no public reception facilities for the Licensing Unit. Therefore, all enquiries will need to be either:

• in writing;
• by email or
• by telephone.

In certain circumstances, following a discussion with a member of the unit and where it is felt that a meeting is needed in person, an appointment can be made for you to see an officer. The unit does not have the facilities to see anyone who arrives without an appointment.

Licensing customer survey

The Licensing Unit would like to know if it is providing you with the service you need. Please complete this customer survey and return it to the address below.

Information on the licensing web pages

Legislation and procedures may change over time and the information given is based on the information available at the current time. It is not necessarily comprehensive and will be subject to revision in the event of further government guidance and regulations. This advice is not intended to be a definitive guide to, nor a substitute for the relevant law.

Medway Council is under a duty to protect the public funds it administers and to this end may use the information you have provided on your applications for the prevention and detection of fraud. It may also share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds for these purposes.

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