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Floating pub?

Wumpty

By Wumpty
in General Boating

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RickH Collaborator

RickH

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Blog about the Wibbley Wobbley My link

 

The landlord (comedian Malcolm Hardee)drowned falling from his tender on his way home to his houseboat from said pub one night.

I knew Malcolm back in the day , it was a great loss but apparently the funniest wake ever !

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NB Alton Proficient

NB Alton

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Around our neck of the woods, on the Peak Forest Canal at Whaley Bridge is the Judith Mary restaurant boat which has a licenced bar serving beer, wines & spirits :- http://www.judithmary.co.uk/

 

Also locally is the floating pub boat, The Bell based at the Ring o'Bells pub in Marple:- http://www.thebellmarple.co.uk/

 

Both of which seem fairly popular with the general public in the summer.

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haggis Veteran

haggisDonate to Canal World

Posted
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Is that the only pub at Laggan? I am cruising that way in a fortnight and plotting the pubstops.

 

Not sure if it is the only one but it is well worth a visit. You sit in the area in the photo, give your order and chat to the owners and other customers. From memory, there is one big table up the middle at the other end and you are encouraged to all eat at the same time at that table. I think there were also a few small tables at the sides but not sure. By the time you have your meal (everything is freshly prepared) you are all such good friends that you want to sit together anyway!

An experience not to be missed.

 

haggis

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tillergirl Experienced

tillergirl

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Posted (edited)

As a person who up until recently worked in Licensing for a LA I can shed a bit of light on a few things:

 

1.You would have to have a person (or yourself) who had under taken the Personal Licence qualification. With the course fee and the Personal licence application you would be looking at £200+.

 

2. Your Premises licence would be based on the rateable value of the property you are planning to run the business from. That means the boat would have to be assessed for business rates and those would have to be paid in addition to the premises licence. Lets say for arguments sake it falls into the lower band A. So your Premises Licence would cost you £70 plus £70 a year to maintain the licence. This would apply in every authority area you plan to run your business from. These licences are NOT transferrable across county boundaries.

 

3. I would also presume that since you are living and working from the boat then you open a can of worms with regards to council tax as well................in every authority area you plan to run your business from.

 

4. The Environment Food & Safety team would also pay you an annual visit and inspect your premises.

 

5. As would the local Fire Service - See above

 

6. As would the local Police - see above - they would almost certainly insist you install CCTV cameras - at your own cost.

 

And finally C&RT would want you to hold a business licence at whatever that cost is.

 

not going to be a cheap quick fix venture. Good Luck cheers.gif

Edited by tillergirl
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mayalld Veteran II

mayalld

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As a person who up until recently worked in Licensing for a LA I can shed a bit of light on a few things:

 

2. Your Premises licence would be based on the rateable value of the property you are planning to run the business from. That means the boat would have to be assessed for business rates and those would have to be paid in addition to the premises licence. Lets say for arguments sake it falls into the lower band A. So your Premises Licence would cost you £70 plus £70 a year to maintain the licence. This would apply in every authority area you plan to run your business from. These licences are NOT transferrable across county boundaries.

 

 

As a boat has no rateable value, it would be band A.

 

And I must differ as to needing a licence in each LA area;

 

s 189(1) Licencing Act 2003;

This Act applies in relation to a vessel which is not permanently moored or berthed as if it were premises situated in the place where it is usually moored or berthed.

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jelunga Influencer

jelunga

Posted
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A couple of points :

 

A liensed premises has to be 'registered' with the local council and 'fees' paid, not sure how that would work if you are moving about from one authorities area to another authorities area.

 

You need seperate male and female toilets and hand washing facilities.

 

You need a 'kitchen area' with suitable hand washing facilities (and glass washing facilities) that meet hygene regulations.

 

Will you be offering food ? - if so 'kitchen' area will need to be up to food hygene standards and be available for inspection by Food Agency inspectors

 

How would your customers know where you are ?

 

Have you looked at the costs /implications of getting a C&RT commercial licence, insurance etc ?

 

You would need to sort out deliveries for wherever you happened to be when you need restocking (or can you roll barrels along the towpath ?)

 

The 'Barge' at Newark is a floating pub and restaurant (but does not move)

Click link : http://www.castlebarge.co.uk/index.htm

If you can buy beer in a train moving from one station to another, why not in a canal boat? But the boat would have to be moving! Mind you after a few pints it would seem to be anyway.

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Captain Zim Community Regular

Captain Zim

Posted
Posted

If you can buy beer in a train moving from one station to another, why not in a canal boat? But the boat would have to be moving! Mind you after a few pints it would seem to be anyway.

 

Trains are exempted. As are hovercraft weirdly. Narrowboat hovercraft possibly?

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tillergirl Experienced

tillergirl

Posted
Posted (edited)

As a boat has no rateable value, it would be band A.

 

And I must differ as to needing a licence in each LA area;

 

s 189(1) Licencing Act 2003;

This Act applies in relation to a vessel which is not permanently moored or berthed as if it were premises situated in the place where it is usually moored or berthed.

 

As I stated Band A most likely. As to not requiring a licence in each LA area, believe me in these cash strapped times I wouldn't like to lay any odds that you would get away with one licence. The way I read the above is that you will need a licence for each trading area because you are not permanently moored in one place. A premises licence is not transferrable to another district. Also there may also be a little matter of a Boatmans Licence as well................buts that's another story.

And to throw in another curved ball............marriage licence..............nope don't even try to go there!

Edited by tillergirl
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twbm Experienced

twbm

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Posted

I do not think that is correct - ours is based on the business rates value of the property

 

(Tied pub rents are based on trading figures /turnover)

 

It's the setting of the non-domestic rates I'm asking about - there are no 'bands' for commercial properties.

 

Anyhoo - the answer to the question is that a narrowboat could not, I think, hold enough punters to generate a viable business in the space left after all the necessary facilties had been built in. And: in the current climate, being able to subvert all the local licensing objectives and planning controls by just rocking up and opening by a convenient bridge would soon have the local authority closing you down.

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DaveC Proficient

DaveC

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Many years ago there was a trip boat called "Jane Austen" on the K & A between Bath top lock and Bathampton. It was operated by Commander Wray-Bliss (he that had taken, in a canoe, paddling the complete length of the canal a petition to the Queen against closure / abandenment of the K & A) and I occasionally operated the bar on board. At that time he assured me that he didn't require a licence to sell alcohol as it was a "floating" bar.

 

I realise things have changed since the early 1970s.

 

 

Dave

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c c Rising Star

c c

Posted
Posted (edited)

Many years ago there was a trip boat called "Jane Austen" on the K & A between Bath top lock and Bathampton. It was operated by Commander Wray-Bliss (he that had taken, in a canoe, paddling the complete length of the canal a petition to the Queen against closure / abandenment of the K & A) and I occasionally operated the bar on board. At that time he assured me that he didn't require a licence to sell alcohol as it was a "floating" bar.

 

I realise things have changed since the early 1970s.

 

 

Dave

I recall that was the case also in the late 80s, but has it changed since ?

Edited to answer my own query:

The Licensing Act 2003 applies the alcohol and entertainment licensing regime to vessels for the first time.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), an Executive Agency of the Department for Transport, exercises the Secretary of State’s powers to make and enforce regulations for the safety of ships those on them (includes narrowboats on canals and rivers so you apply to MCA if planning to carry more than 12 people - less than 12 is handled by whichever local authority you apply to).

Edited by canalchef
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Alan de Enfield Veteran II

Alan de Enfield

Posted
Posted

Vessels

 

Where a Premises Licence is sought in connection with a boat or ship, the primary focus will be on the licensable activities and not the safe navigation of the vessel. This is covered under separate legislation. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency will be consulted on all applications

 

Trains and aircraft

 

Railway vehicles and aircraft on journeys are exempt from the licensing regime. However, defunct aircraft and railway carriages used or converted as restaurants and bars that remain in a fixed position will require a Premises Licence.

 

Planning issues

 

The use of any licensed places or premises is subject to planning controls. There are several key differences between licensing and planning control.

 

 

http://www.medway.gov.uk/business/licencesandstreettrading/licensedpremises/premiseslicence.aspx

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c c Rising Star

c c

Posted
Posted

I recall that was the case also in the late 80s, but has it changed since ?

Edited to answer my own query:

The Licensing Act 2003 applies the alcohol and entertainment licensing regime to vessels for the first time.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), an Executive Agency of the Department for Transport, exercises the Secretary of State’s powers to make and enforce regulations for the safety of ships those on them (includes narrowboats on canals and rivers so you apply to MCA if planning to carry more than 12 people - less than 12 is handled by whichever local authority you apply to).

 

The Licensing Act 2003 Section 189(1)

This Act applies in relation to a vessel which is not permanently moored or berthed as if it were premises situated in the place where it is usually moored or berthed.

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