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What is Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS)
A Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) is needed for any licensed premises that sells alcohol.
With the exception of community premises, church halls and village halls (see Disapplication of DPS below) the DPS is expected to be the point of contact for Licensing Authorities, Police or Fire services if any problems occur. A premises will not be authorised to supply alcohol without a DPS. All applications for a Premises Licence must also include a DPS consent form. A DPS must also hold a current Personal Licence. Although the DPS is not required to be on site at all times they are expected to spend a significant time on the premises and should always be contactable, a premises can only have one DPS at any time.
Varying the DPS
If you would like to change the current DPS you will need to go online and complete the necessary form and pay the fee of £23.00. You must also return the original Premises Licence as a new one will be issued once the change is made. If this is not available you should complete the form to say why it is unavailable.
Once you have made the application online we will consult with the Police as required. It will act with immediate effect, unless you state otherwise.
The Police will confirm to Ipswich Borough Council that they have received the application. The Police have a 14 day period in which to make objections to the proposed new DPS. If no objections are received you will receive your licence within 20 working days. If an objection is received the application will have a hearing in front of the Licensing Sub-Committee at Ipswich Borough Council.
Please note the Designated Premises Supervisor must hold a current Personal Licence issued by the Local Authority in which they live.
Change of DPS Details
If you need to notify us of a change of name or address of a DPS you can do this online and pay the fee of £10.50. You must also return the original Premises Licence or explain via the form why it is unavailable.
Please email: licensing@ipswich.gov.uk to advise of a change of details.
Removing a DPS
If you would like to apply to be removed as DPS from a Premises Licence you can do this by completing the form below. Please note if there is no Designated Premises Supervisor or if the Designated Premises Supervisor does not have a Personal Licence, no supply of alcohol can be made.
Disapplication of DPS
It is now possible for community, church and village halls to apply to remove the mandatory condition to have a Designated Premises Supervisor and pass the responsibility for authorising the supply or sale of alcohol to a Management Committee. The application must come from a Committee or Board with responsibility for the management of the community premises.
The criteria for eligibility is the same as those used for fee exemptions: those premises that are made available for community benefit most of the time and accessible by a broad range of persons and sectors of the community, including for purposes beneficial to the community as a whole. Premises that have an existing Premises Licence but are exempt from fees can usually apply for the disapplication of the DPS.
As Premises Licence holder the management committee will collectively be responsible for ensuring compliance with licence conditions and the law.
To apply you should:
- Complete the online application form below and pay the fee of £23
- Return both parts of the existing Premises Licence (or written confirmation of why this is not available)
- Enclose copies of any hiring agreements for the premises
- Enclose documents that identify the premises and how it is managed
Download the Application Form (PDF)
On receipt of your application Ipswich Borough Council will make a decision based on:
- Whether the applicant is, or is to be, a Committee or board of individuals with responsibility for the management of the premises
- Whether the premises is a Community Premises
- Whether the arrangements for the management of the premises by the Committee or board are sufficient to ensure adequate supervision of the supply of alcohol on the premises in different situations (e.g. private parties)
- Whether replacing the requirement to have a DPS with the alternative licence condition will have a negative impact on the Licensing Objectives.