Around 200 licensed trade businesses and registered social clubs have successfully gained their licences under Scotland’s new licensing system, following a marathon feat of organisation by the busy Dunfermline office of chartered surveyors DM Hall LLP.

Crucial to the success of applications this year has been the correct handling of premises’ layout plans, which must be accurate 1 to 100 scale drawings showing every area, both inside and outside the premises, such as, for example, beer gardens.

Scores of Fife registered social clubs have already successfully negotiated the critical transition process thanks to DM Hall LLP, which has been preparing for the changeover for almost a year and had taken on extra staff to cope with the volume of applications and their supporting layout plans.

According to the firm, many social clubs – typically bowling, miners’ and other community-based clubs – were badly prepared for the move to the new system, which for the first time requires registered clubs to become part of the regular licensed trade.

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However, the layout plans element of the licensing changeover, which becomes fully effective in 2009, also affects trade businesses ranging from pubs and nightclubs to hotels, restaurants and off-licences.

At DM Hall LLP offices throughout the country major efforts were made to ensure clients of different kinds, from social clubs to pubs, restaurants and hotels, were as prepared as they could be for the move to the new system.

Associate Partner and property services manager Alan Jeffrey, at DM Hall LLP’s Dunfermline office, said: "The detailed layout drawing which has to support all applications is one of the most important elements of the new system."

He added: "There have been reports of some people trying to make do with fire certificate plans copied out but unfortunately that simply is not acceptable – it has to be a professional architect’s drawing.

"The plan has to denote all areas which would be covered by the licence, along with key details such as maximum permitted occupancy numbers, the position of fire exits and other relevant information."

Now that the first major licence hurdle has been successfully negotiated for these businesses, he said, it is time for those whose applications are due on 3 October to start thinking seriously about preparing their layout drawings.

"Because new applications depend on when your old licence expires this year has seen a rolling programme whose next key date is in October – and even although it is still only summer I’d advise anyone involved in the licensed trade who has yet to sort their new licence to give some thought to the layout plan as soon as possible."

(GK/NS)