TranslateThe Licensing Board have agreed the following policy:
- The festive period is designated as Monday 1 December 2025 to Saturday 3 January 2026 (inclusive of both dates), during which on sales premises can apply for a maximum of 11 periods of Extended Hours.
- As Christmas Eve and Hogmanay both fall on a Wednesday in 2025, both of these nights will be treated as if they are Saturdays.
Please refer below for the Board’s Festive Extension Policy Hours (Licensing Policy Statement Part 9) which shows the latest times that each category of premises can apply for;
1. Restaurants and premises offering no significant entertainment (For example Public Houses)
- Monday, 1am
- Tuesday, 1am
- Wednesday, 1am
- Thursday, 2am
- Friday, 2am
- Saturday, 2am
- Sunday, 1am
2. Premises offering significant entertainment (For example Nightclubs)
- Monday, 2am
- Tuesday, 2am
- Wednesday, 2am
- Thursday, 3am
- Friday, 3am
- Saturday, 3am
- Sunday, 2am
3. Members' Clubs
- Monday, 2am
- Tuesday, 2am
- Wednesday, 2am
- Thursday, 2am
- Friday, 2am
- Saturday, 2am
- Sunday, 2am
Other Matters
The Board’s Standard Conditions require all Premises (throughout North Ayrshire) that are open after 1am to have a First Aider and to observe a curfew of 00.30am, regardless of the nature of the Licence or permission which authorises opening after 1.00 am (NALB Standard Conditions C.17, D.1 and D.4).
For convenience the Application form allows for several dates to be applied for on the one Application, but they are each separate Applications: for example, you can apply for 4 days on the one form and the fee payable would be £40. Applications are only regarded as being received once the fee is paid.
Premises can only apply for Extended Hours for the end of a period of Licensed Hours - if the Operating Plan does not already have Licensed Hours for that day, the Board must be asked for a Variation, rather than a grant of Extended Hours.
Occasional Licences applied for in relation to the Festive Period can have a maximum terminal hour of 2am, on all 7 days of the week, and should be applied for per date.
Period of notice
Applications in relation to the Festive Policy should be made at least 28 days before the proposed date(s). If less than 28 days’ notice is given, there is no guarantee that an application will be accepted or that it will be processed in time.
If an application is within the Board’s Policy, and it does not attract any adverse comments during the statutory consultation process, then in most cases it can be dealt with from start to finish within 28 days of being received. If, however a Board hearing is required for any reason then the application procedure will take much longer. Applicants should allow for this possibility and apply well before the intended date(s), as otherwise there is no guarantee that the licence will be available in time.
Please refer to North Ayrshire Licensing Board Statement of Practice for Occasional Licence and Extended Hours Applications (applicable to all applications made on or after 29 June 2010).